Bloodline Limits : Uchiha and Hyuuga
by waltzofpearls
Summary: During the Chuunin Exams two natural enemies meet for the first and a strange bond is created between them. Set in in a custom Naruto world. M rated for Violence and Sexual References.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is my first Naruto fan fiction. It is based on the manga and anime but I will meddle with the events in my favor! The OC is my character at a Naruto RPG setting that I'm currently playing. I will attempt to combine the two worlds and smooth them out since originally my OC was active after the events of the anime. I feel like they would be a great match and a terrible one at the same time, so I thought it would make an interesting case. I hope you guys like it and also I would appreciate feedback! This is the pilot in which I mostly introduce the OC since...well we know pretty much everything about Itachi :P There will be a time skip since I am beginning early. Enjoy :3**

Pilot

1.

Hyuuga Mirai sat peacefully on the verge of the cliff that offered a great view of her homeland.

Kusagakure- the village hidden in the grass. At the age of ten, she had a small, delicate figure and a porcelain complexion, fair and radiant. Her long black hair was carefully managed into a traditional style, exposing her big and pale eyes and her elegant facial features with intense cheekbones. Both her attire and posture indicated her noble lineage as she was dressed in a beautiful silky white kimono, properly arranged with every item necessary and she sat in seiza.

Mirai would soon take the Chuunin Exams, an impossible achievement for a ten-year-old kunoichi. She had completed her academy education at the age of eight with flying colors. She had spent the last two years mostly at training than going on to missions with the two other members of her team. She had been also learning the etiquette that fitted her social status as the sole heiress of the Hyuuga House of Kusagakure.

The girl always appeared timid and quiet, always sitting alone and studying rather than socializing and playing. She was a very serious child that spoke to impress even the adults and the teachers. She knew a lot of things about historical events, tradition, literature and arts, gardening and nature. Mirai never chatted with her schoolmates and never did she wander on the streets of the grass village like everyone else. She was the perfect child, always reserved and humble in her excellence, always obedient and well mannered. A perfect child, a perfect girl and a perfect noble. She had the top scores at the academy and no-one had ever seen her coming back from a mission or training looking hurt or at least tired.

Mirai was highly respected by her subordinates inside the Hyuuga House and a lot were expected from her. Her mother, who was unofficially the current head of the house, felt always proud of her daughter while her father trained happily with her on daily basis. The heiress was the spitting image of her father, possessing his big, expressive eyes and full lips but she wore the demeanor of her mother, distant and uninterested; probably the reason she had no social life during her years at the academy.

The wind blew from the south, upsetting only a few strands of her ebony hair. She breathed the rich fragrance of wild flowers and she focused her gaze on the tall, magnificent Sequoya tree that hosted the office of the Kusakage. Her eyes grew cold and piercing, as she remembered the last conversation she had with her mother.

"I believe it's the perfect time for you to become a Chuunin. I am sick of dealing with the villages expectations of you, Mirai. You are needed in the Hyuuga affairs and you could move more freely if you were Chuunin."

"Yes, Hyuuga-dono." Mirai replied firmly.

"It's also very crucial to do it this year, since the event will be hosted at Konoha, where our House originally belonged to. You must prove to those...relatives what a Kusagakure Hyuuga can become." she added coldly.

"I understand."

"After the stupid acts of your brother, Konoha thinks we are overruled. I will not accept their arrogance much longer, Mirai. You are much more competent than Hiashi's daughter. You could restore the glory of the Hyuuga Clan one day" her mother commented.

"Hinata-sama is still very young, Hyuuga-dono. She is considered a toddler." Mirai replied defensively.

"You could use proper taijutsu at her age."

Mirai nodded. She didnt want to argue with her mother and she was satisfied that she didn't continue speaking about her brother. Hyuuga Ichirou. The first-born son of Shizuka and Kisuke, her parents. Ichirou had been stripped off his honor as a ninja and became rogue after an attempt to assassinate one of the Fire Nation's political leaders, when Mirai was four years old. He then escaped prison with some of his associates and went missing ever since.

His image was burned in Mirai's mind. His face had the sharp features of their mother but the soft expression of their father. He and his younger sister were the polar opposites. She remembered his playfulness and radiant personality, always socializing and laughing and playing around. He was a genius ninja, becoming a Jonin by the age of twelve. Ichirou always promised Mirai that he loved her and often took her for a stroll in the city or a walk in the green forest. He would play hide and seek with her, teaching her how to be stealthy and sneaky and some nights he would even sleep by her side, stroking her hair and singing tenderly in her ears. He gave her a necklace the night before he was gone, that wrote one kanji: Love.

Mirai felt the weight of the same necklace around her neck becoming heavier as she thought of him. Love. What a romantic misconception, what a nuisance. Hyuuga Ichirou had lost his right to be called her brother since he abandoned her and the House, since he dishonored their principles and name, since he passed the burden of redemption and power on her.

The wind blew once more and Mirai's eyes focused again. She would travel in a few hours towards Konoha. She had no family there. The Konoha Hyuuga Clan wanted to destroy the Grass Hyuuga Clan although they were related and equally strong. She had no allies there. Her only comrades here were her two teammates: Asai Rin, a fourteen years old kunoichi with short brown hair and dark beautiful eyes that was very talented in ninjutsu and cooking and Yoshino Jin, a fifteen years old boy that was talented in fuinjutsu and making mistakes. She couldn't really say they were her friends, the age and interest gap made it impossible to communicate apart from strictly business level but Mirai cherished and protected those two with her life and -when necessary- with her name as well. Rin and Jin believed her to be quite weird and sometimes even scary, but they were loyal to their teammate and had proven that they would stand by her side at any cost. However, those two would take the exams as well and could not possibly leave the training grounds while in Konoha. She had nothing there but enemies.

The sun finally emerged, painting the grass golden and the village warm. She rose tiding her attire and then abruptly she stared at a random direction.

Mirai was always accompanied by Hyuuga Anbu so this was a game she was playing since she was little. She was amused by the idea that one day she would peer towards the right direction and make one Anbu wonder how on earth had she spotted them. After a few seconds her gaze dropped and she started to return to the Hyuuga district.

Her thoughts were focused only in analyzing the direction of the wind, the species of the flowers she met on the road and the sounds of the forest.

2.

Mirai was already settled in one of the guest houses inside the Hyuuga district of Konoha when the first assassination attempt was made against her. She was reading a historical scroll about the first shinobi war when she sensed murderous intention. She moved fast and took cover behind the bench of the small private garden as a barrage of needles fell on the spot she was seated only seconds before. She caught a scent of monkshood flower. Excellent.

"Leave now or be executed." Mirai warned, sounding as secure as always while her mind was calculating the odds. She sensed one target, adult. The person seemed to move irregularly which pointed her to believe that he or she -probably the latter- had no knowledge of the environment hence she was most certainly not a Hyuuga assassin. The young genin shed her heavy kimono and was left with the simple white robe that was placed beneath it. She had one kunai on her. Her opponent had to be better equipped and she should also possess more options in weapons.

Another attack came at her direction; this time the needles had tiny seals on them. None touched Mirai but she noticed the small symbols as those of chakra suppression. Mirai smirked at herself and relaxed her posture. The odds where in her favor.

She moved freely, avoiding another attack, this time with two kunai.

"Byakugan" She whispered calmly and the famous kekkei genkai was naturally activated. Ignoring the thin paper walls of the guest house she was able to spot her attacker. Obviously a female, with very normal chakra levels considering her age. Mirai hid out of the line of sight of her opponent.

"This is my final warning, miss. You are no match for me, they sent you to die." She tried to reason with the enemy, her voice still calm and soft. She didn't particularly care about her opponent's choice. She understood that it was only the first warning but truth be told… Mirai wanted to kill her. To think they sent such a weakling to scare her off, they had offended her.

Hyuuga Mirai was calm and quiet, timid and introverted, noble and elegant.

Hyuuga Mirai was also dead serious and lethal.

She counted to three and as her opponent made no move of retreat, Mirai moved through the walls, her eyes showing her were to hit. The woman that wore no headband died swiftly, her eyes becoming glassy, her features frozen in a final expression of surprise. Mirai stepped back and scanned the assassin's clothes. Nothing but typical ninja tools. Needles and poisons. Kusagakure ninja tools.

She closed her eyes slowly, deactivating her Byakugan. She drew one deep, quiet breath.

'Calm down.' she thought to herself.

Right then and there she sensed two other people behind her. She turned towards them.

Two Hyuuga Anbu of the Leaf Village were standing side by side. Both male, one wearing a fox mask and the other wearing a bird mask.

"Thank you for your assistance." Mirai stated.

The Fox spoke. "We will take her and report to Hiashi-dono."

"You are most considerate." She bowed humbly.

The Bird lifted the body effortlessly and with a small greeting both of them disappeared. Mirai stared at the floor where the enemy kunoichi drew her last breath. No blood. No marks on the floor. Behind her, two thin paper walls were ripped. She sighed and returned at the bench where she picked up her kimono and obi, placing them carefully around her figure again. The needles were missing. She gave a half-smile towards the direction the two Anbu had gone and took her seat once again, picking up her scroll. History absorbed her completely.

3.

The written exams were trivial. Mirai spent most of her time inside the room noticing the other contestants.

There were her teammates, Jin obviously copying Rin's answers. There were genin from the Leaf, the Grass, the Waterfall, the Sand and the Stone. 'Not a large variety', the girl noticed. She counted sixty six genin, seven of which were eliminated before the end of the exam because they were caught cheating.

She looked at her sheet again and shook her head.

Q: What are you skilled at?

A: Painting.

Q: What is your weapon of choice?

A: Needles.

Q: How many shinobi do you work with?

A: All genin work in three-man-squads.

Q: How many shinobi does your village possess?

A: I don't know.

Q: How many ninjutsu techniques can you perform?

A: None.

Mirai understood the nature of the test quickly. There was not a specific set of answers that were better than others. They were checking the genins' ability to reply realistically while protecting the real information. It was pretty similar to what Mirai had been doing all these years so it was easy for her. She was certain that Rin would catch up quickly and maybe reply playfully like she usually did. Jin -if he didn't copy Rin's exact manner- would go wild. She already imagined him writing that the Grass village had one million shinobi. She smiled at herself.

"Miss Hyuuga, are you finished?" A man asked her. She looked at his warm brown eyes and tanned skin. He wore the Leaf headband and the special ribbon on his arm that showed his status as a proctor.

"Yes. Thank you." She agreed as he took her sheet. He smiled at her kindly and showed her the exit. Mirai was taken aback by his gentle behavior. She returned a small smile and followed his directions.

As she was closing the door behind her, someone else held the door nob. She took a few hasty steps forward and turned only to see another boy leaving the room as well, with a small bow towards her as he silently closed the door behind him. They were alone in the corridor. This boy couldn't be much older than her but he was way taller. He wore black attire and Konoha's headband. He had long raven hair in ponytail and matching velvety black eyes with long dark lashes, splashing perfectly on his canvas-like complexion. His features were beautiful and gave away a reserved melancholy.

Mirai bowed back. Something in his presence was rather familiar but she wouldn't breach her quiet demeanor.

They stood opposite to each other, both of them close to walls. A few minutes passed and no one left the room. The girl started to fill somewhat uncomfortable but her features showed nothing of it. His expression was filled with apathy as he monitored the end of the corridor.

Some time later, she had focused on his vitals out of boredom. His heart rate was slower than normal and his breathing was quiet. His scent wouldn't reach her. His movements were few and discreet. His built appeared to be slim and slender but it was apparent that his body was far from fully shaped.

His aura remained familiar somehow, although Mirai was sure she had never met him before. Black hair, black eyes, fair skin, exceptional beauty. Konoha. Mirai turned her gaze on his eyes, almost expecting to see them turn red. A few seconds later he looked back at her, his examination still indifferent.

Could he be…?

"Uchiha Itachi" he introduced himself his steady voice rippling the silence of the empty corridor. It wasn't just a reply to her thoughts that he obviously had guessed but also a statement.

"Hyuuga Mirai" she declared.

None of them broke eye contact. Slowly their auras were filled with chakra, both of them asserting dominance. Her eyes lost their coldness and became fiery and his gaze turned intense. They were enemies by birthright, their families always fighting over control. A tradition that would be theirs to continue in the future. The Uchiha Heir of Konoha and the Hyuuga Heiress of Kusagakure.

People started to join them in the space outside the exam room but no one tried to interact with neither of them. They kept their eyes locked on each other for a long time, everything else was dulled.

Itachi moved at her direction smoothly and Mirai mirrored his motion. They reached handshake distance and the boy lifted his hand. She mimicked his movements suddenly aware that they were both breaking the good manners protocol. She didn't care at all.

They shook hands, both of them firmly and absolutely. When they stopped he bowed and left. The white and red fan, the symbol of his clan was embroidered on the back of his black shirt. Her eyes became distant again.

This should be interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

Heirs

1.

Uchiha Mikoto have been watching her older son throughout dinner. Her husband had also noticed that something had been troubling Itachi but he didn't refer to it after a discreet sign of his wife; she would approach him when they were left alone. She sighed and Itachi's eyes searched for hers immediately. Mikoto smiled at him, wholeheartedly; her son, no matter his talents and skills, was the kindest person she knew. He smiled back at her, his gaze distant as he finished his meal.

"Itachi? Will you help me do the dishes?" she proposed.

The boy blinked but nodded. "Yes mother."

"Thank you. Honey, can you check on Sasuke? His fever should be fading by now." she added, looking at her husband. He simply touched her shoulder and left the room, without a reply.

Mikoto smiled at herself this time. All the Uchiha men had this brooding, distant and cold type of charisma; Fugaku -her husband- and Itachi were no exception. All her hopes for a normal person to talk to were based on her younger son that had shown a more outgoing and exciting behavior, at least at home. She shook her head and looked at her first-born that had already picked an apron and was prepared to do the dishes with all his might.

"Itachi, let me do this and sit by my side. I would like to talk to you."

The boy removed his apron, his relief being apparent. Mikoto knew that he would do anything they asked but he despised housework. She held back another smile.

"You seem a little troubled, dear. Are you worried about the rest of the Chuunin Exams?" she engaged the topic without further dew.

"No." he stated coolly.

"I understand that your superiors believe you can do it, son, but don't put too much pressure on yourself." she continued. She examined his eyes that another wouldn't be able to decipher but a mother's insight is uncanny. He was carefully defensive.

"Thank you, I am honestly fine. Is Sasuke feeling better? I haven't seen him today."

'You little rascal, you are trying to change the subject.' Mikoto thought. "Your brother is perfectly fine, it is just a cold. Can we talk about what is going on with you?" she pressed.

He stared at her directly and didn't speak for a while. Mikoto was able to comprehend that he was struggling to find something he could share with her.

Those Uchiha men. They could bring down gods with their shinobi skills and visual prowess but when it came to social interaction they were absolutely clueless. 'At least you are pretty enough not to be bothered by this' Mikoto thought, holding back yet another smile.

"I believe that these Exams are more than just a promotion." Itachi spoke at last. "I am very careful not to make any mistakes".

"Is this what has been bothering you?" she insisted one last time.

He nodded. She knew that he was honest in his reply but not necessarily accurate. She sighed.

"I firmly believe that mistakes are educational as well, Itachi. Don't be afraid to make a couple, just don't repeat them and try not to be killed by them" she stated finally.

"I am not afraid, I'm careful" he claimed. Ah, his pride. She made a poor choice of vocabulary there.

"Yes, dear." she agreed mildly.

"Can I go join Sasuke now?"

"Sure thing." She said with a smile.

Itachi left the room and Mikoto gazed outside the kitchen window, at the peaceful streets of the Uchiha district.

'Quiet not peaceful.' she corrected herself 'Another poor choice of vocabulary there'.

2.

Itachi saw Hyuuga Mirai once again during the second phase of examination. She and her team, two older genin of Kusagakure, were the third team to be promoted to the next level. He noticed her perfect attire, she wore a kimono again -pale lilac and gold- and had no signs of battle on it. He couldn't notice weapons on her. Her hair were brushed and tidy, her shinobi headband wasn't apparent on her outfit. If her eyes weren't those of a lethal bloodline she would be the perfect image of a noble young lady and nothing more.

He could not decide whether she was a worthy opponent or not. She was about his age and taking the Chuunin exams successfully so far, that meant that he couldn't underestimate her. He couldn't appreciate her physique levels because her clothes hid it completely but she was very small in size. Her chakra though, the aura she emitted when they were introduced, led him to believe that she could be indeed very dangerous.

Itachi was taught in early age about the Hyuuga Clan and the Byakugan. The Uchiha were always one step behind the Hyuuga when it came to political power because of past sins against the Village. He had heard many vicious comments coming from Hyuuga members of Konoha about his own Clan and vice versa. He was born to become the next head of the House once his father retired and he should be able to reduce the Hyuuga influence on the Hokage and reinforce the Uchiha's will inside the village's affairs.

However, the Hyuuga and the Uchiha of Konoha had both ill feelings about the Hyuuga Clan of Kusagakure. They were quick to grow in strength and resources, having political and financial allies. Konoha knew Kusagakure's ambition to host a stronger Hyuuga Clan and Hyuuga Kisuke -Head of the Grass Clan- did not disappoint.

Around six years ago a big opportunity to defame them arose when the Heir to the Kusagakure Clan, Hyuuga Ichirou had deserted his Village, becoming a rogue ninja. Everyone in both Uchiha and Hyuuga of Konoha were satisfied with the turn of events. It would be years until the Grass would produce another genius heir so they could use this time to antagonize their dominion. However, the Clan Head had another child, a daughter that appeared to share her brother's talent and competence, rapidly evolving inside the womb of her House and Village. Itachi was certain that the child would be in direct danger by the Hyuuga and the Uchiha Clans of Konoha since she posed some kind of threat therefor he was very surprised to see her taking the Chuunin exams, especially in Konoha. This was a political statement from Kusagakure.

We are still here, we are still dangerous and our daughter will continue our will. We will achieve greater power and we are not threatened by you.

Itachi took another glimpse of the girl. She would be better off dead as soon as possible. Her fate was sealed on the day Hyuuga Ichirou left the House and she would carry this burden for years. He thought of Sasuke, still recovering back at home. Itachi would never bestow such a burden on his little brother, he would never put his own self above him. Her older brother was a selfish trash and nothing more. Older brothers should protect their siblings not expose them to such conditions. This little girl would suffer the fate of all her family's sins and there was nothing to be done. Itachi decided not to think about her anymore, as if she was already dead.

3.

The second attempt on Mirai's life came right after the second phase of the Chuunin Exams. The same night she was taking a walk around Konoha -as her mother had urged her to do- and she was analyzing the village's structure and security. It was a rainy evening and she -being still a ten year old child at the end of the day- decided to wonder around in the forest close to the village.

Konoha's flora resembled the one she was used to back home but the forests were deeper and a few flowers and herbs were unique. She enjoyed the lively atmosphere of Konoha, although she would never admit it. The soft rain wasn't enough to haze the environment's beauty and the scent of the grass beneath her feet calmed her heart. The traditional umbrella above her head annoyed her a little bit; she craved to feel the cleansing tears of the sky on her skin but she would never appear improperly, with wet kimono on enemy grounds. Mirai knew that although the Leaf and the Grass village were formally allies, the truth was they couldn't afford to be enemies right now. She wasn't confused about politics.

Her bloodline allowed her to see in dark, not completely, but enough to appreciate the serenity she always searched. Maybe, when all of these were over, when she had established her Clan's dominion and produced a proper heir, she could built a beautiful residence somewhere in the woods, with a peaceful small garden and a great view of her village and retire there. She could even fake her death and then no one-

A sudden thud interrupted her trail of thoughts and she quickly turned towards the direction of the sound only to spot the fallen body of one Anbu. Her own Anbu.

"Byakugan" she immediately activated her eyes only to see her attacker this time having already approached her and landed his first attack.

The blade that was aimed for her throat had missed -as she moved fast enough given the reaction time she had- only to slash her shoulder.

She tried to disengage but soon she realized that this time, three people had surrounded her. Their chakra was potent and particularly focused around their eyes beneath their disguise. They were Hyuuga Assassins. They possessed the Byakugan. Excellent.

Mirai threw her umbrella deciding that she would change clothes if she survived and attempted to outrun them but they blocked the way towards the village leaving her the forest as the only option. She didn't know these grounds, the forest was a bad choice but she moved nonetheless. Her Byakugan showed her that both of her escorts were dead although she noticed only one thud. How could she make such a rookie mistake?

Her pursuers kept a close distance, pushing her deeper into the unfamiliar area.

Mirai calculated the odds. Three adults, two male, one female. Full gear. Byakugan. Very adept to their surroundings, probably locals. Her bodyguards were dead but she didn't know when they were supposed to change shifts. Rainy weather was unimportant and so was the darkness of the night since they could all see and sense chakra. She had only one kunai. Konoha.

Mirai smiled. The odds were in her favor.

She halted abruptly. This time she would not give them the option to surrender; they knew very well that they were committing a crime. The first to catch up were the two men that immediately came for her chakra points and vitals with the distinctive stance of the Hyuuga Clan. She released immense amount of chakra directing it on them from a small distance without ever touching them and they flew away from her while the third person approached her.

One down. Mirai evaded her opponents gentle fist style effortlessly and managed to land a successful strike on her heart muscle, causing instant cardiac arrest. The woman fell with a small thud.

She saw the other two coming at her at full speed and she started running towards them, her eyes now blazing. Two down. She killed one of them as she jumped behind him and kicked him airborne. She followed his body natural fall motion and hit him three times, the first two attacks were meant to dislocate his arms and the third to destroy his trachea. Meanwhile, his ally's shuriken hit her at the ribs, three wounds, class 1 hemorrhage if she didn't remove the weapons. Insignificant.

She turned to face the last opponent with an arrogant grin on her face. The man's eyes were white and beautiful as every pair of byakugan she had ever encountered. They looked at her in horror.

"You monster!" he exclaimed.

She didn't reply but her smile faded. 'Naive tool' she thought bitterly.

She activated her most talented skill set: Surprisingly for everyone except her teammates, although she was an excellent taijutsu practitioner, Mirai's true calling was genjutsu. The man in front of her froze in his place, his eyes wide in shock as he slowly realized that his body was paralyzed.

Mirai finally drew her one kunai and prepared to bury it in his throat with a leap when she suddenly noticed that another two people appeared, one of them gently changing the direction of her attack. The kunai hit a tree trunk.

Two Anbu made their appearance. They were hers, she knew their presence and outfits.

The two female Anbu that usually accompanied her in her private rooms bowed before her.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mirai demanded at the woman that redirected her kill shot.

"Forgive us, Mirai-sama. We will take the survivor for identification." the Anbu replied coolly.

'You are taking him to Grass Village for torture and information' Mirai thought. "I understand. I count on you to take care of the rest." She agreed calmly.

"Yes." They said in one voice.

Mirai looked at the bodies of the two others. 'Calm down' she thought to herself.

4.

Itachi had visited the Leaf's training grounds in order to speak with his superiors and was returning home late. In two days time the last exam would take place but he couldn't feel any kind of anxiety about it. His hair were slightly wet from the soft rain but it felt nice and soothing. He couldn't wait for these exams to be over so he could go back on field trips and missions. His training was progressing very well but that was not an excuse; he could do even better. He had to grow up faster than that. He had to take his rightful place as the Head of the Uchiha in order for Sasuke to grow up normally, peacefully. Shisui, his friend and confidant, had already been recognized as a trustworthy Uchiha by the village's head, the Third Hokage, and Itachi was very grateful for this. The two of them would restore the glory and honor of their clan, so his little brother and everyone else would have a chance in peace. A chance in happiness even.

His thoughts were interrupted as he sensed someone in a small distance. He saw Hyuuga Mirai coming out of the forest, a few steps behind him. He immediately noticed a black spot on her pale kimono. Her hair was wet. This somehow upset him. It was bad news. She saw him too, her eyes revealing surprise at first and then serenity.

"Mirai" He said simply.

Her eyes popped open at the lack of honorifics, but Itachi thought that they had a silent agreement the other day at the corridor. They would be at each others way in the future. They would probably meet many times to discuss things that didn't matter, only to have the opportunity to read their opponents next move. He believed that to be a form of familiarity and since they were of the same age, etiquette seemed quite hollow between them.

"Itachi-san" she greeted him seriously, disapproving his forwardness.

His eyes wondered on her wounds. He raised his brow in a silent question without much interest to know the specifics. She read his motion successfully but didn't regard it.

"Good luck tomorrow." she mentioned gently and with a small bow she begun to return to the village.

"Good luck to you, too" he returned the courtesy, his stare fixed on her back. The Hyuuga Clan symbol was shimmering on the fine fabric of her kimono.

5.

"Uchiha Itachi of Konoha versus Hyuuga Mirai of Kusagakure" The proctor announced.

The last trial was traditionally one on one combat. It was early noon by the time the first four matches had been resolved. This was a public event and it was conducted in the Arena with a big crowd watching and among them, the Kage of the various hidden villages that were participating as well as the families of the contestants. Uchiha Fugaku, his wife Mikoto and his younger son Sasuke were there. Mirai's parents weren't present. This of course was another way of letting everyone know that they were absolutely confident that she would make it but at the same time that even if they weren't in the crowd, the Clan should be there to support her. A hint that Konoha's Hyuuga had caught on as Hyuuga Hiashi and his young daughter Hinata were present to support their "family".

"I am confident that you are not going to lose, Mirai." Hiashi had told her in a cold tone.

"Yes, Hyuuga-dono"

"Your mother must be very proud of you, child." He proceeded to comment, a small hint under his breath.

Mirai lifted her eyes to meet his. At his age and status, Hyuuga Hiashi was terrifying and absolute.

"I will ensure this will be the case, Hyuuga-dono." she responded calmly, making her own hint.

He nodded in understanding and they parted but the little girl approached her right away.

Her hair were short and black, her eyes bright as the moon.

"Mirai-sama!" little Hinata shouted happily.

The older girl turned to look at the toddler in wonder. "Yes, Hinata-sama?"

Hinata reached her and offered her a band-aid. Mirai blinked in surprised but kindly accepted the gift.

"I heard that you have hurt yourself...I made this band-aid myself and put some ointment on it! It will make the pain go away immediately, so please, put it on." Hinata said shyly.

Mirai swallowed. So the Konoha house was certainly the one to blame for her injury -since no one else saw her and she doubted the Uchiha had spoken about it to Hinata- but the kid didn't know this. She had a kind, timid look in her eyes and Mirai felt that the girl liked her.

She lowered her body in order to look at the child's eyes directly, trying to guess what she was thinking about.

"Thank you very much, Hinata-sama. I will put this on." she said, her voice sounding strange at her own ears. Was she… emotional?

"Father is sure that you will win, so don't worry too much." the girl added kindly.

"Hiashi-dono is certain that I will not lose, Hinata-sama. There is a difference." Mirai commented bitterly.

"Really? I am certain that you will win!" the younger girl said, true faith in her warm gaze. Mirai's throat felt sore so she cleared it discreetly.

"Thank you. I am truly grateful."

Hinata smiled shyly and left, following the direction her father took.

Mirai was waiting her turn and took mental notes about the battles she watched when suddenly, she heard the announcement.

"Uchiha Itachi of Konoha versus Hyuuga Mirai of Kusagakure".

Mirai flinched and her head popped at the direction of her opponent who was also looking at her.

'So it came that we will face each other now, Uchiha Itachi.' she thought.

His eyes reflected the same notion. The two heirs, none of them allowed to lose.

Mirai turned around only to see her teammates looking at her. She smiled confidently only to them as she took off her kimono. Surprisingly she wasn't wearing the traditional robe beneath it, but she was properly dressed as a Hidden Grass Ninja.

She wore a black turtleneck, her dark green military pants and sandals. She was fully equipped with kunai, shuriken and needles, her homeland's trademark weapon. Her headband was tied on her thigh above some bandages. Mirai made her hair into a strict ponytail that reached her waist. She took the little band-aid that Hinata gave to her and placed it on her wrist. She searched for the little girl in the crowd that has been looking at her from distance and offered her a small bow. Hinata smiled at Mirai and mouthed a clear "good luck".

The Heiress walked into the Arena and stood before her opponent. He was expecting her, also dressed in the typical Konoha shinobi outfit with the black shirt and military pants and his headband on his forehead, his hair in ponytail as well. The difference for both of them was the small symbols on their backs.

Hyuuga vs Uchiha.

"Begin" said the proctor and left the battlefield as the crowd begun to cheer in awe, expecting to see the famous Uchiha Itachi fight at last. Most of them were leaf villagers after all.

The two children bowed nobly and prepared to launch their attacks.

"I didn't think we would meet this soon, Mirai." he said as he moved.

"Me neither. Are you prepared, Itachi-san?"

"I am."

"Excellent." she mused as she followed his circular pacing.

They both started to speed up as the circle they formed started to narrow down. Eventually, they clashed, with simple kunai attacks at first.

Mirai calculated the odds. Uchiha, male, ten years old, exceptional chakra levels, Sharingan. Plain surroundings.

He suddenly jumped away from her and blew fire through his parted lips towards her. She revolved graciously around herself, blowing chakra at every direction, pushing his flames away from her.

The crowd went wild again. They were performing a great show, Mirai and Itachi both knew.

"I will not allow your fire to touch me Itachi-san." she claimed calmly as they stood in the same distance as when they begun.

"I will find a way, Mirai." he replied confidently as he stared at her eyes.

"Sharingan!"

"Byakugan!"

They both activated their dojutsu.

"Now our eyes truly meet, Uchiha Itachi."

"Let us dance, Hyuuga Mirai."

(Four long hours passed and the two shinobi went against each other like opposed forces of nature. Sometimes the Uchiha had the upper hand and sometimes the Hyuuga did.

They were both out of breath, out of chakra, roughly maintaining their eyes active, their bodies were scratched and bruised, their hair were windy.

Their quiet demeanor had been long gone, revealing their ambition, their violence and their power.

Now, the children were both on their knees, staring at each other from distance with serious eyes, ignoring anyone else around them.)

Mirai stood up slowly and so did Itachi. This wasn't good. Her genjutsu was not at his levels countering with greater taijutsu against him. His ninjutsu was exceptional but she had better chakra control. The odds were even.

"What are you thinking right now?" He inquired as he threw her four shuriken, without adding any technique. She deflected them with her kunai, without spending energy to move or chakra to avoid them.

She didn't reply. Mirai threw a barrage of needles at him which he effortlessly avoided using his visual prowess. His moves were slower now but so were hers so it didn't make any difference.

"Do you think we will both faint at the same time?" he joked, this time running at her and attempting to land a punch at her abdomen. She blocked this one easily.

"I will not faint." she claimed as she tried to kick him away. He avoided her attack.

"You are depleted of chakra." He insisted as he caught her leg and forced her to lose her balance.

"You are left with crumbles too!" she confirmed as she rolled away from him.

"It's true." he laughed.

Both of their dojutsu faded and they were left staring at each other helplessly. None could win today.

The crowd was frantic with excitement when the proctor spoke.

"This match ends in draw. It will be repeated tomorrow at 12:00 pm."

Mirai smiled at him and he smiled back. They had exchanged a few words and many blows but it felt like they have been acquainted for a long time. They have met an equal. Itachi bowed and she mimicked him, their eyes never looking away.

The odds were not possible to calculate.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

1.

"Explain yourself, Itachi." Fugaku commanded.

"Father?"

Itachi was sitting in front of his father in his office. Right after his body had received medical care the Uchiha Head of the Clan had requested him immediately. Fugaku appeared to be very disappointed.

"You were almost defeated by a little girl, in front of all of us. Explain!" he repeated, slamming his hand on the table.

"Hyuuga Mirai is not a little girl. She deserves to become Chuunin as much as I do." Itachi replied calmly.

"What?!" the older man raised his voice even more, upsetting Itachi's heartbeat but the child didn't waver.

"She is a worthy opponent, Father" he added.

"She is a Byakugan trash! She is someone that if we don't get rid off now, will become a thorn on our side in the future! You were fighting her like you didn't want to kill her."

"I didn't want to kill her, I wanted to defeat her."

"This is the only reason you lost!"

"I didn't lose. It was a draw-" Itachi's sentence was interrupted by a horrible vibe inside the room. His father's eyes were activated and their power and wrath was concentrated on his son's face. The boy resisted the urge to close his eyes and looked back at him.

"There is no draw in life, Itachi. You are the Heir of this Clan. I will not allow any more shame on our House. End this tomorrow. It's an order." Fugaku commanded, his voice cruel and heavy.

"Yes, Father." Itachi managed to say.

When he left the room he blinked away a few tears of terror that were blaring his vision and tried to catch his breath. His father was right. He had failed the clan. He had betrayed everyone's hopes. His mother would probably think very low of him. What good is a son that makes everyone angry?

Itachi hid inside his room and allowed himself to cry, still affected from his father's intimidation and the exhaustion of the combat.

'I am such a hypocrite.' He kept thinking. 'Everyone is counting on me and I fail them again and again. I should have finished this today. Sasuke saw me almost losing today…My little brother must never see me lose. My mother must never think that I am not enough… My father and clan, they must trust me to protect them… I'm failing again and again…'

Sometime later he drifted to sleep, his face still wet with disgrace, his frown clutching his features even while he was unconscious.

Mikoto crept silently into her son's room. Her little boy was sleeping, at last. She wept the tears off his beautiful face, noticing the purplish complexion under his eyes.

"Don't cry so often Itachi. You are going to ruin your pretty complexion." She whispered hopelessly.

"Sweet dreams, baby. You don't have to be anything while you are sleeping…" she added before planting a soft, tender kiss on his cheek. When he slept, he looked like he was truly only ten years old.

She left the room and headed to her husband's office. She opened the door with force and his eyes were already aligned with her glare.

"Have you decided to lose your son, Uchiha Fugaku?" she demanded, her presence raging.

"Did you see his performance today? He was pathetic."

Mikoto moved so fast that Fugaku had no time to avoid her grapple. Stepping on the table that stood between them she grasped the collar of his robe and peered into her husband's eyes.

"You have no right to call my son pathetic, you hear me? Or you want to give it a go?" she hissed.

His eyes didn't even blink as he grasped her wrists. "He is my son, too."

"He is your son only when you want something from him!" She snapped.

"You of all people should know better, Mikoto." He replied bitterly, while he gently pushed her away from him.

"It doesn't matter what I know, Fugaku! Do you think Itachi feels loved right now? Do you think he feels appreciated and welcomed? This is his house, the only place he must find peace after all the blood he will encounter, after all the war. You have no right to take this away from him!"

"You've said enough. Leave me alone."

"I-"

"Leave!" He shouted at her.

Mikoto smiled sarcastically. "Shame on you." She scoffed at him as she left the room.

2.

Mirai's wounds were taken care off and she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep after her simple meal but she couldn't. She was certain that tonight someone was coming for her. It was the perfect timing for anyone to pin her death on the Uchiha Clan so she was edgy, waiting for the possible attempt.

The night was dark since the moon and the stars were concealed behind heavy clouds that moved too fast. Mirai abandoned her hope to sleep and got out of bed. She threw a heavy, embroidered robe upon her sleeping dress and left her hair as it was. She made a cup of tea that she took on the private garden of her residence. She sat on edge of the wooden engawa veranda and watched the sky.

Images of her match with Itachi came to her mind. She almost lost to him a couple of times but she managed to hold the line. He was very capable and probably the only person her age that could counter her. Then she remembered his laugh. Why did he laugh? It wasn't a provoking gesture or something of this kind of behavior; he seemed to actually laugh out of joy. She caught herself smiling and she shook her head.

"Nonsense" she muttered to herself.

Only then did her sensors capture an abnormality in her environment. She sensed someone familiar, speeding by the northern side of her minka. Immediately she activated her byakugan only to realize that the presence she felt was this of Hyuuga Hinata. She was carried in high speed towards the walls of the district my a man that…was not a Hyuuga Clan member. The child was still asleep.

Mirai froze on the spot. They were kidnapping Hinata.

If she was taken now, there would be one less person that Mirai would have to fight in the future. However, the young girl couldn't just stand and watch. She got up and without any hesitation she followed the perpetrator. Her eyes kept him visible to her even when he left the district as he moved towards the woods.

Mirai ran faster and she finally saw him directly, a man in plain black clothes, without any type of identification on him. The little girl was still sleeping in his arms. Mirai felt the hair on the back of her head rising; how dared he touch her?

She didn't want to throw a kunai at him out of concern for Hinata so she jumped in front of him, blocking his way.

"Return her to me and I will let you live." She spat at him in a low, intimidating voice.

He didn't reply but tried to escape only to be stopped once again by her. He then drew a kunai and pressed it on the back of Hinata's neck. Mirai stopped on her heels.

"Let us go and she might survive." The man demanded.

Mirai's byakugan spotted a speeding individual running towards them. Hyuuga Hiashi. If she could stall the kidnapper for a few more seconds, Hinata would be saved.

"Then take me with you!" she pleaded anxiously.

"Move, girl." He threatened, pushing the kunai tighter.

"I promise I will not get in the way!" she begged again. He was there.

The man made his move to pass by her when he was attacked from behind. One swift blow from Hiashi's gentle fist and the man was dead before he hit the ground, while the first gently pulled Hinata in his arms. Mirai saw true relief in his hard expression as he held his tiny, sleeping daughter.

She approached the body to examine his features but Hiashi interrupted her.

"Enough, Mirai. It's late and you have a match tomorrow, you better rest." He declared.

Mirai bowed. "Yes, Hyuuga-dono."

She straightened her posture and walked towards the district. When she passed by his side the man touched her shoulder with his free hand. Mirai was instantly tensed but the only thing that he said was: "Thank you."

She bowed again with wide eyes and then she walked away. She was about to enter the district when she saw a slim figure leaning on the exterior of the wooden walls. Tidying the robe above her sleeping gown, she approached the familiar figure.

"Itachi-san" she greeted him.

He nodded. He was dressed in black simple clothes and always carrying weapons, his hair in his usual ponytail. He appeared to be tired or even sick.

"Why are you here?" she wondered.

"I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow. Will you walk with me?" he asked her quietly.

"It's late. We could talk tomorrow morning." She argued.

"I thought you might say that" he replied cockily as he lifted his right hand to show her a paper bag that contained sweets and snacks.

Mirai examined the mischievous glow in his eyes. 'What on earth was he up to?'

"Fine. For a short while, though." She agreed hesitantly.

He nodded and started to walk by the walls of the Hyuuga district. They took a hidden path and they met no one until they reached the Hokage Rock. The whole village could be seen as well as the forest beyond it but it was a little chilly. They sat above the second Hokage's face that was carved on the stone and Itachi offered her some treats. Mirai looked at him suspiciously.

"They are not poisoned." He said flatly.

"That's exactly what you would say if they were" she replied.

He stared at her, his eyes reflecting the sky like the surface of a black lake.

"What do you wish to say?" she demanded.

He cleared his throat. "Tomorrow we fight again. We have to end this."

"The proctor said that already. I heard." She remarked sarcastically.

Itachi felt the urge to calmly push her off the edge. He didn't.

"Yes." He continued "However, I am going to be serious tomorrow. I wanted to let you know this and that I would like you to be serious, too."

Mirai stared into his gaze.

"You mean that you are coming to kill me tomorrow and I should do the same." She concluded coolly.

"Yes." He didn't deny it.

"Why are you telling me this?" she inquired. Her heartbeat was faster and she found herself being irritated.

"Out of respect."

"And this?" she asked showing the treats, her voice a little high-pitched "Is this your idea of a last meal?"

He frowned and returned her gaze. "This is maybe the last time we are both alive, I thought we could spent a few minutes together, no last names." He explained bitterly.

"Thank you for the warning, I will take it under consideration." She spat at him and left.

Itachi sat there alone with more sweets than he could handle. He sighed. He and she could be friends but tomorrow one of them had to die. He could not keep disappointing his family.

3.

The rain was heavy as Itachi was preparing to enter the Arena. His little brother wouldn't be here today because of his former cold. He was grateful for this. He didn't want Sasuke to see him like this.

His body was still bandaged under his clothes. She fought admirably yesterday but today it would be over.

'It's an order.' He thought calmly.

He drew a deep breath, ridding himself off every possible sentiment.

"Uchiha Itachi of Konoha versus Hyuuga Mirai of Kusagakure, Final." The proctor announced and Itachi stepped on the mud inside the field of the battle. He saw her entering the area from the opposite side, proud posture, expressionless face and pearly eyes.

The crowd went wild. The storm didn't stop them from attending their final match.

They stood in front of each other. He concentrated on the clinging sound of the raindrops on his headband. Her hair was now fully wet, bringing out her eyes. He could sense her murderous intention and he was certain she could feel his, too.

He felt his chest heavy but ignored it.

'This is wrong.' A small voice cried inside him. 'It's an order.' He insisted.

"Begin!" the proctor shouted and left the field.

This time none of them played around. They charged at each other with all their might. Rings of fire, lashes of pure chakra, the constant glow of their blades and weapons, nightmares and bruises… They hurt each other repeatedly on last day's wounds, they clashed again and again without hesitation. Even then, it wasn't enough.

Mirai knew that the odds could not be calculated which meant only one thing. The outcome was based on luck.

Their battle begun to resemble some kind of sinister dance. They were now familiar with each other's fighting style and they had both been prepared to kill but none of them was ready to die instead.

Finally, they moved so that each one of them had one kunai pointing in the heart of their opponent. As they run Mirai knew that when she pierced his skin he would also hit her. Itachi prepared himself for the physical pain and concentrated in making his attack count. They both infused chakra in their weapons, their eyes fixed on their opponent. They would both kill.

Luck came in the form of the Third Hokage.

Just before their final attack occurred and as everyone were holding their breath, the proctor came between them so fast that both of the children didn't have time to stop. He grabbed both of them by their extended forearms and with a revolving motion in order to manage their force, he threw them away from each other. Itachi landed on the wall of the arena and Mirai rolled on mud and rocks.

The Third spoke.

"This match is considered complete. Both of you are worthy to become Chuunin. Congratulations."

The Arena became quiet for as long as the Hokage spoke.

Mirai coughed some blood and got up. Her every breath was excruciating. Itachi felt his broken ribs at every motion but he also stood.

The crowd started cheering frantically although some were disappointed that none had prevailed.

The proctor cautiously monitored both of them. Their killing auras weren't lost yet.

The two children approached each other.

"Good luck" she hissed raising her blooded hand.

"Good luck to you, too" he replied fiercely, grabbing it with his.

A thunder fell nearby, making the ground shake and their faces shine.

Then the two Chuunin left the Arena.

(Three years later, Konoha)

Itachi stood in front of his little brother. He stared at the child with ferocious eyes.

"There is no value in killing the likes of you, my foolish brother… If you want to kill me, curse me! Hate me! And live a long and unsightly life."

Sasuke's eyes, horrified by the image of his entire clan being slaughtered, remained on his older brother's face.

"Run away, run away… and cling to your pitiful life. And then some day, when you have the same eyes as I do, come before me." He commanded and ran away from the child.

Itachi could hear Sasuke's steps trying to keep up with him. 'Go away little brother…' he thought, tears filling his eyes.

"Wait!" Little Sasuke screamed behind his back.

Itachi thought of his house, his parent's sleeping inside a pool of blood.

The kid managed to stop him momentarily. He gave him one last look, trying to maintain his villain identity. He looked at Sasuke's face and he felt he couldn't hold his tears anymore. He rearranged his headband and disappeared, leaving his baby brother wounded, traumatized, alone and safe. Safe from their clan, safe from their village.

Uchiha Itachi became a rogue ninja, the one that slaughtered his entire clan but Uchiha Sasuke.

4.

Mirai sat peacefully on the verge of the cliff that offered a great view of her homeland.

Last night she found out about the fall of the Uchiha Clan by the hands of Itachi, their heir.

He had killed everyone, even his parents. Only his little brother survived the attack. Itachi was now on the bingo book. She hadn't spoken to him since their last confrontation during the chuunin exams but she heard that he joined the Anbu soon after that. He was one of Konoha's most valuable shinobi. She couldn't understand why he betrayed his family and village but it didn't matter.

Mirai decided not to think about him anymore, as if he was already dead.


	4. Chapter 4

A smile beneath the mask.

1.

Mirai's mission was complete, finally. This one was quite difficult even for her, a jonin of the Hyuuga. She had managed to hurt herself at minimum; only a couple of broken ribs, a twisted left wrist, six stitches on her left temple and other than that a few bruises and scratches. She walked proudly towards the medic ninja of her clan.

The old woman smiled when she saw the young heiress.

"Ah! You have returned, Mirai-sama!"

"Don't sound so surprised, Ayuna-san…" Mirai commented, giving the lady a half smile.

"I am not at all surprised. It is only natural that you would never be late to return. These missions that the Grass Village is assigning you are way below your abilities… Let me see you now." She ordered the girl. Mirai winced but undressed to reveal her wounds.

"You must be in pain!" Ayuna exclaimed.

"It isn't always below my skill. The mission, I mean." Mirai teased the medic.

"You imp. You move like nothing is blocking you." The old woman scolded her kindly as she started to tend to her wounds.

"Pain isn't an obstacle for me, Ayuna-san." The girl mused.

Ayuna looked at her. "How is your leg, by the way? Any problems?"

"It's fine."

"It is not a shame to ask for painkillers, Mirai-sama." The medic coaxed quietly.

Mirai smiled halfheartedly. 'My pain, no one can kill it. Not some herbs for certain.' She thought to herself. She examined the scar on her right hip, where pain never left her. It's been two years…

"It's been two years, Ayuna-san. I barely remember that I was injured." She claimed.

"We remember, Mirai-sama. Wasn't it for you, our clan's secrets would have been compromised."

"They didn't. Don't forget that most of our secrets are being told, not written."

"They insulted our clan and almost killed you. They will pay when we find them." The medic promised, calm wrath in her words.

"Ayuna-san. It will be taken care of, in time. You have nothing to worry about. I will protect our clan and all our members. All our secrets and lore. You just count on me more." Mirai said. She had repeated those words a thousand times by now.

"I count on you, Mirai-sama. We all do. You are the bright future of our House and you have proven yourself more than enough. You maybe find in your heart that we are here to support you,too." Ayuna replied serenely.

Mirai nodded and put on her kimono again, covering her bandaged body.

"Thank you, Ayuna-san. Don't-"

"Don't tell anyone that you were injured. I know." The woman interrupted her.

Mirai smiled and left the minka with a small bow. The moment she slipped her feet in her shoes the first drops of rain begun to fall around her. The girl raised her eyes upwards and a few heavenly tears landed on her face.

'Why are you crying?' she mentally asked the sky. 'Don't you like what you see?'

It was rainy and she had no mission but to stay home and maybe talk with her father about some diplomatic affairs. It was almost noon, so they could have this conversation during dinner instead. Mirai turned her back on the Hyuuga district and headed for the riverbank in the forest. She noticed many people running inside and covering themselves from the rain as she strolled among them, going at the opposite direction, enjoying the weather rather than avoiding it.

Mirai enjoyed the blue tint that everything in nature was dressed in, she breathed the scent of the earth and the grass and she appreciated the stillness in creation. The landscape was stopped in time for the rain to fall violently.

'You are a lot like fate' she thought 'everyone can see that you are hanging above us, they can predict your outcome. They will prepare their best; they will even defy you but you, Rain, will fall upon us, no matter what.'

She smiled to herself as she entered the forest and walked by the river. She stood under her favorite tree, an old willow that allowed her to feel a little secluded and watch the river from a small distance. She lowered the shoulders of her kimono that was now soaking wet and then she shook little droplets from her freshly cut, short hair that barely reached her shoulders. She sat in seiza and peered on the surface of the river, hoping to catch a glimpse of her reflection and recognize what she saw.

She was almost fifteen now. After a three year career as a jonin of her village and her clan, Mirai had no time to appreciate the river or the rain. The water was always red, always flowing at a direction that every shinobi will meet. 'Every human.' She corrected her thoughts.

War was at their doorstep but no one accepted it, out of optimism or out of foolishness. Mirai possessed none of these traits. She had already made preparations and the Hyuuga of the Grass would endure. Her parents would have already retire wasn't it for her desire to remain on the battlefield. She had too much rage in her heart to keep it inside wooden roofs and paper walls. If she survived the war, she would find a way to have this small house in the woods and be quiet there, instead of the Hyuuga district.

The surface reflected the mask of an Anbu. Mirai sighed as she turned to face her subordinate; they had strict orders not to accompany her while they were in Grass grounds but they ignored those orders quite often out of concern.

She looked at the man behind her without getting up only to realize that his attire wasn't the one of a Hyuuga or even a Grass Anbu. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and she immediately started to calculate odds. The Anbu didn't seem hostile or friendly so she made no move, appearing calm and confident instead.

The man sat on one knee in front of her, his long black hair sliding from his back on his chest, and looked at her through his mask. Something in his posture and presence was oddly familiar.

"Can I help you?" she inquired solemnly, arrogance flooding her voice. It was right then that she noticed the red shine of his eyes. Sharingan. Was it a thief or an Uchiha? Mirai couldn't decide which scenario was preferable.

"I was hoping to find you, alone." His muffled voice was barely audible behind his mask and the rain.

"Congratulations, you did it. What are you going to do now? Ask me on a date?" she mocked him intentionally trying to get a better read of his behavior. She would swear she heard a low, brief laugh. Could he be…?

The man lowered his mask, revealing his handsome face and terrifying gaze. Mirai's eyes popped open. She never imagined seeing him reach her age but there he was, way taller and larger than before, his features molded nicely to become those of a man, his gaze even heavier than rain or fate. He deactivated his dojutsu and his eyes became velvety black again.

She didn't move. Uchiha Itachi in Grass Village couldn't be good news. A few months ago, Mirai was travelling at the Water Nation to gather some information for the Fire Nation when she accidentally encountered some interesting news about him. He was alive and had joined a criminal organization called the Akatsuki. Mirai didn't have the time to look into them but she wanted to travel again at the end for the year to find out more since it appeared important. He was around fifteen, too. He was hunted from many different organizations and he had managed to elude them and even make contacts and find comrades. He was a tough opponent.

She looked at him and he returned her stare, his headband still on his forehead, the absolute proof of his treachery. Then, suddenly she attempted to put distance between them but he stopped her as he grabbed her forearm. She activated her eyes and put her free hand between her legs only to pull a kunai from her kimono's layers, breaking her seiza posture.

He held her firmly.

"Are you worried that I will kill you?" he asked cockily,his voice deeper than she remembered it.

"You cannot kill me but thankfully you put your entire clan out of their misery." She hissed sarcastically.

His eyes became terrorizing but his calm expression didn't waver.

"Put your weapon down." He ordered and Mirai witnessed her hand lower. Genjutsu.

"Poor tricks, Itachi." She commented as she released herself from his influence. "I have some of those, too." She claimed as she grinned. He defied her words and kept his eyes glued on hers.

"I didn't come to fight you." He insisted but it was already too late. He was caught inside her illusion.

As he blinked, Sasuke appeared before him, tears of pain and rage on his alabaster face.

"Why did you do it, big brother?" the boy asked him.

'It's an illusion' Itachi reminded himself, however he was tempted to allow it to exist a little more, just to see his little brother's face.

"Why did you kill mother and father? Why did you kill them all?" Sasuke tried to attack him but Itachi avoided his kunai.

"Why did you leave me alone, why did you not kill me, too? Wasn't I Uchiha enough for your blade?!" the boy screamed as he attacked again, this time freeing his forearm from Itachi's grasp.

"ENOUGH." Itachi's voice was booming and strict as he stopped Mirai's genjutsu and his little brother disappeared from his eyes only to be replaced by her. Her kimono was still revealing her legs and shoulders; it was still dripping with water. She smiled maliciously at him.

"I've heard many stories about your genjutsu, Mirai. It seems that you've got yourself a terrible reputation, always showing your opponent their loved ones, suffering."

"I didn't think you had any loved ones left, Uchiha Itachi. You slaughtered everyone. Who did you see?" She asked, her eyes blazing.

There was a little distance between them now. Itachi looked at her without a reply.

"Was it Sasuke?" Mirai continued ruthlessly. "He must be around eight or nine now. Maybe I should finish what you couldn't?"

Itachi was no longer calm. His sharingan activated and he leaped on the branches of the willow, his intentions hostile.

"I can accept your insults and bitterness, although uncalled for. However, I will not tolerate your arrogance. You are inferior to me, you always have been. That's why you didn't gather the courage to do the right thing. Ichirou would make a far better successor of the Hyuuga clan. You are nothing but his cheap knock-off." He said, successfully trying to make her lose her calm demeanor.

Mirai's eyes widened and her fair skin became pale.

"What would you know of Ichirou?" she hissed as she also leaped on the branches of the old tree, a few feet above him.

"I met him; he is much more pleasant than you are." He replied coolly. He was still furious about her mention of Sasuke.

Her eyes were even wider now, horribly terrifying as the byakugan was active.

"What would traitors and murderers know of honor and responsibilities? Birds of feather flock together, Uchiha Itachi! You and he are both trash!" she yelled at him, attacking him simultaneously with her gentle fist style. Itachi avoided every single strike with extra caution.

He had heard a few rumors about Mirai. She only attacked to kill, her illusions were always lethal and she rarely suffered any damage. He could feel it on his skin, her intention to kill him.

"You have taken my words into your heart, haven't you?" he asked her as he managed to push her away. She gracefully landed at a lower branch and glared at him.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"That you should fight me seriously." He reminded her.

"Do you currently prefer to have a 'friendly' sparring with me then?" she mocked him.

"I told you, I don't want to fight. Although, I must say you are making me waver." He warned her.

"Then why are you here? Why did you mention my brother? Did he send you?" she inquired. Itachi noticed massive amounts of chakra gathering around her clenched fists. She was about to attack again. He had hit a nerve. He always thought that Hyuuga Mirai wouldn't be easily carried away but he did the same mistake as soon as she mentioned Sasuke.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I just wanted to talk with you about nothing in particular?" he tried to convince her, his voice tired.

"No." she replied simply.

"Well, when someone lies so often, they shouldn't expect anyone to believe them at the end." He mused.

Then, they both landed on the grass. Itachi looked at her. "Why did you stop attacking me?"

"I do not trust your words at the slightest but I trust my instincts." She said.

"What is it that they tell you?"

They locked eyes again, measuring each other. Mirai hesitated.

"Tell me." He insisted.

"You honestly want to talk?" She dared to ask, unable to believe her own words.

He nodded.

"Why?" she asked as she deactivated her dojutsu.

Now it was his turn to hesitate. Her gaze insisted.

"I think we might be similar." He explained, finally.

"Similar, how?"

"Will you cover your shoulders?" he suddenly requested.

Mirai was taken by surprise. "You must have seen many women with exposed shoulders." She objected.

"Not in your class." He replied, mystified. Mirai was perplexed.

"You invaded my privacy." She reminded him. There was a hint of a smile on his lips as he took a few defensive steps, approaching her. The girl glared at him, half arrogantly- half confused. He proceeded to softly touch the wet silk on the edge of her shoulders and bring it slowly back to its original and proper place.

Mirai was ready to react to a possible attack but it came in the form of a shiver down her spine. She knew that he noticed. He appeared somehow absent-minded as he took a step back.

"Why did you cut your hair?" He asked simply.

"It was in the way…" she replied defensively, unable to read his motives.

"Do you cut anything that gets in your way?"

"Yes."

"I envy you." He said with a half-smile.

"Aren't you also like this?" She implied.

He shook his head. "I keep my hair long, don't I?"

She realized she had been smiling. This feeling of familiarity, this strange identification grew between them again. He smiled, too.

"That's all I needed to know." He hinted.

She frowned. "You are leaving."

"I will come back and if I don't, I am confident that you will find me." He said.

"What makes you so certain?" she demanded, obviously upset by now. All of these emotional shifts had tired her.

"You cut everything and I don't." He explained. "We will dance some more, I believe."

"Your mask." She said, without looking away, her index finger pointing at his Anbu mask that was left on the grass by the river.

"I don't need it anymore. Keep it. I heard that you are now an expert at intercepting Anbu teams, you might find it funny." He replied serenely.

"I heard that you joined the Akatsuki." She countered. "Why do you keep falling? Didn't you have enough?"

He halted and looked deep into her eyes, communicating words that would never be spoken.

"I am falling for a reason and you are rising for another. Let's discuss more next time. Your bodyguards will arrive soon and I'd rather avoid them." He said hastily as he lifted his index and middle finger and started to disappear.

"Next time?" she asked him, a little louder than she intended.

He might have smiled as his form dispersed.

2.

Mirai was sitting in her traditional Japanese sauna, enjoying a steamy bath, her thoughts lost at this evening's events. She didn't mention their meeting to anyone. It resembled a dream, a violent, confusing dream-

"Good evening." A voice she didn't recognize shuttered her piece.

She looked at the open window and saw a man sitting there. Not any man; the famous Copy Ninja of Konoha, Hatake Kakashi.

"Now now. I really have to change security measures in my own house." Mirai said coolly although he had honestly scared her. She never felt him approaching.

"Don't blame them. I am sorry to interrupt but I wanted to talk with you, privately." He explained lazily, his dark grey eye – the only one that was visible- wondering outside the bath and away from her nakedness.

"I suppose you are not here to ask me on a date neither." She said half upset-half jokingly.

His gaze popped at her direction and she got out of the hot water without one single sign of shyness. He immediately looked away, clearing his throat and Mirai rolled her eyes. One of the most important weapons a shinobi could possess, were their looks and she knew. She put on a silky robe and walked to stand by him. He looked at her, unimpressed.

Mirai smiled, her diplomatic mask on, and spoke. "To what do I owe the honor of your presence, Konoha shinobi?"

"I have intel that Uchiha Itachi might have been near Kusagakure." He informed her, strictly.

"You are not very conclusive." She said, her focus on her vitals and expression. If anyone knew, she didn't want it to be Konoha.

"Hyuuga Mirai. If you have any information, I must ask you to share them. It would displease our higher ups otherwise."

He was threatening her and truth be told it was working. Mirai smiled politely.

She leaned closer to his face and his eye remained in apathy. "I have nothing to say that would please or displease anyone. Leave." Her voice was cold and unfriendly.

"You have three days to reconsider." He said simply. Mirai then heard the sound of a kunai been stuck on the floor between them but she didn't look at it, pretending that she expected his move. "This is how you can find me." He gave her a nod and run out of the minka, his steps leaving no trace on the mud. Mirai knelt by the weapon that was almost completely sunk inside the wooden floor and took it out. A map was carved on its blade.

She sighed.

"Excellent."


	5. Chapter 5

_**AN: Hello everyone, thank you for reading my story! I hope you enjoy it so far. I would like to let you guys know that I have mentioned many events that I haven't written about yet. Don't worry, I will in time ;) Remember to hydrate properly and have a lovely day! **_

Odds

1.

Itachi woke up with tears on his face, his eyes were sore. He gazed the early morning sky, which was merely visible between the thick branches of the maple tree that he had chosen to rest near, sometime earlier. A cool breeze made his skin shiver and he sighed from the bottom of his heart or what he wished he had kept inside it. It was early spring after all. Konoha would be at full bloom in a month or so. His favorite Ajisai flowers would paint the staircases of his clan's Shrine a radiant blue color that would make all the early spring rainwaters appear otherworldly. He closed his eyes for a little longer, trying desperately to remember home. The image was alien; it had no sound of footsteps, neither a single scent nor warmth. He brought all of the streets inside the Uchiha district in his mind; however he couldn't imagine life in it. He knew very well that this place would probably host nothing but ghosts, his little brother the liveliest of them.

He was not entitled to shed tears or feel homesick. He was his own demise; someone had to become a sacrifice and even after all this blood, Itachi couldn't regret his decision. It was a choice made out of love, out of compassion and also out of necessity. He honored his headband and he still wore it. He meant every death he had caused; he believed in every scar those killings left on his soul. He remembered his father's final words:

"Do not fear. This is the path you have chosen. Compared to you, our pain will be over in an instant. Even if our philosophies differ, I am proud of you…You are truly a kind child."

Itachi opened his eyes and the sun was still rising. The circle of life didn't stop because everyone he knew was murdured. This was the essence of nature, the beauty of everything possessing a soul.

Sasuke would be taller now and his hair might have become longer, too. Slowly, his cheeks would grow thinner, his eyes sharper and his voice deeper. He would become a beautiful young man, a talented shinobi and hopefully a good person. Itachi knew that his brother was traumatized in the worst possible way but he was in the hands of Konoha, the Third Hokage had given his word to keep an eye on him and Itachi believed him. The Village Hidden in the Leaves would nurture Sasuke, not with fear and hatred like he was raised, but in love and protection. It would provide his little brother with bonds apart from his family and whatever curse their gifts came with.

Itachi stood up carefuly, his long black cape with the red clouds –which everyone in the Akatsuki wore- protected him from the morning's chill. He was supposed to meet his companion from the organization that day, Kisame. He didn't particularly miss him however he was curious about the piece of information he had discovered throughout his journey at the Village Hidden in the Mist. By the looks of it, Kisame wasn't late at all.

"You are back." Itachi said to the man standing behind him.

"Yeah, sorry for the delay. I got caught up in a little fight on my way." The older, shark-like man replied casually, approaching him.

"Did you take care of everything?"

"Almost…One little girl escaped but she won't survive long in the sea. There are bigger fish there you know…he he!" Kisame said maliciously. Itachi turned to look at him. The man wasn't in a great shape.

"Are you wounded?" he inquired with some surprise. He had never seen his companion hurt before.

"A little bit! Isn't that a fisrt?"

"Who managed to injure you?"

Kisame laughed softly. "A Hyuuga girl. A pretty one, with terrifying eyes and aura. I almost asked her to join us, this creature was vile!" he answered.

Itachi thought of Mirai instantly but didn't show any signs of recognition. "A Konoha kunoichi?" he asked, hoping for an affirmation.

"No, no. She wore a Kusagakure headband on her thigh. I think she was their heiress or something." The man responded after a small pause.

"Was?"

"I left her sooner than I would like but I couldn't keep you waiting, Itachi. Do you know her?"

"If she is who I think she is, we might have trouble in our hands." Itachi implied simply.

"Well, she managed to keep up really well. She must be around your age, sixteen maybe." Kisame noticed.

"She was my opponent back in my Chuunin Exams."

"Oh? That's nice, I'm sorry you didn't have time to greet her then." The man said jokingly.

"I should go and finish what you started. I will ask for permission." Itachi decided. He was seemingly cool but his stomach felt sick.

"Sure. I will deliver my evidence and rest. She was the last of many battles and I would like to nap for a while." Said his companion.

Itachi nodded and the two of them walked towards the forest.

2.

Mirai was hidden in a cave that smelled a lot like fish and moisture. The rocks that formed this natural sanctuary were sharp and slippery but she was in no condition to move or communicate with anyone. All of her companions were slaughtered and she wasn't certain that she wouldn't die yet. Her kimono was effectively ruined; it had long cuts and huge stains of blood, not to mention the salty water dripping from it.

"You are not going to die in a cave without a name, on a land without honor, wearing a ruined kimono." She hissed at herself.

She took it off and threw it away, deeper in the shallow cave. Beneath it, she wore dark green military pants and a mesh armor shirt that revealed her black brassiere. She sighed.

She looked at her torso and saw the little token of Love her brother once gave her. She couldn't die a respectful death while he could still draw breath. She had a future to mold, a better future for everyone; that pendant on her neck was a promise of revenge and a reason to live.

She examined her wounds and they were horrible. She had multiple cuts all over her body; deep, crude injuries that still bled on the ground of the cave. Her right leg wasn't functioning so she imagined the metallic rode inside it had lost its ability to work because of her chakra levels and she was certain that she had at least three broken ribs. Breathing was difficult and the sea water didn't dull the taste of blood in her mouth. The back of her head was cracked and her chakra was depleted. Mirai calculated the odds and started to laugh. Outside, the storm was raging.

She managed to gather enough energy to play one final card; she swept some blood off her wounds and pressed her fingertips on the moist ground, channeling all the crumbles of chakra she could possibly gather. Black seals appeared below her open palm and as the summoning technique was complete, a small, bluish, sea serpent in the size of regular snake appeared.

"Mirai!" The dragon cried as he saw her.

"It's fine, Bo." She reassured him.

"You are at the verge of dying! You need assistance. I will stabilize you!" He said and he moved his body near her.

"No. I have a scroll in my pocket; take it to the village and give my mother my exact location. She will have-" Mirai stopped only to cough some more blood "…she will have to collect my remains. We can't jeopardize the Byakugan secrets." She finished her sentence.

"Please, I can heal you instead!" Bo insisted desperately.

"Listen to me, my friend. This is important. If you heal me you won't have enough power to reach Kusagakure." She reasoned with him.

The small dragon looked at her. Mirai bit her tongue. The creature's expression was honest and sad. She was tempted to let him just heal her but she was a ninja: her duties were her honor.

"I will do as you wish." He agreed, his small but defined and sharp teeth clenching.

"Thank you, Bo." She said and gave him one of the truly warm smiles she reserved only for dragons and children.

"Please, survive. We dragons haven't had a bond with a human in centuries. We don't want to lose you. We…"

"Stop right there, my friend. I promise to try." She interrupted him softly.

The dragon nodded and reached for the scroll in her pocket. He swallowed it and then he rubbed his head at the back of her palm as an indication of affection.

"I will follow your wishes to the end, Hyuuga Mirai. May the Heavens bless you." He said emotionally as he left, reaching the edge of the cave.

"See you later, Bo. Be safe." She bid him farewell.

The small sea serpent dove into the ocean, leaving her alone but relieved. She coughed again and her back slipped from the wall as she collapsed on the ground completely. She had no strength to support her body any longer or her calm expression; it was immediately disfigured from pain. She felt heavy and numb.

Mirai closed her eyes and smiled as hot tears were pouring from her eyes. At least, she could finally sleep now.

3.

When Mirai opened her eyes again she was very confused. First of all she wasn't dead. Secondly, she was in pain but her wounds were mostly taken care of and finally the cave was… warm.

She was instantly alarmed by the figure standing at the entrance of the small cave. He wore his Akatsuki coat but she couldn't see his monstrous sword anywhere. Had the shark freak return to claim her? She wouldn't allow it. She noticed that her body had restored enough chakra. She moved silently and ignored any sting and pain as she approached the man from behind.

He sighed and she stopped on her heels, afraid that he had discovered her.

"You're feeling better, I suppose." His voice! He wasn't that shark-man, Kisame. He was…

"Itachi!" she gasped, not controlling her expression yet.

He turned around. He was taller again and his side bangs were even longer, the markings on his complexion were deeper. His coat was concealing his ponytail. She looked at him, still prepared to rip his throat with bare hands; she had noticed she was stripped off her weapons.

"Mirai." He greeted her. He came closer to her and she lowered her body, ready to defend herself from a sneak attack. He paused mid-motion and his eyes narrowed.

"I am not here to harm you." He explained coldly.

"That's exactly what you would say if you were here to harm me." She argued with a small smile. He unbuttoned his coat revealing his mesh armor shirt and gray military pants. Now she could see his expression better and he was smiling back at her. Mirai felt a strange tingling on her belly that she ignored. He was even more beautiful than she remembered him.

"I was sent here to finish you off-"

"Go ahead." She interrupted him, raising an eyebrow.

"I will not. I will inform them that I failed to track you and that I have information that you were safely retrieved by your village." He continued, obviously annoyed.

"Why?" she inquired. What was he thinking?

"I like our conversations." His expression was cold and unreadable. "Why don't you rest some more? You haven't recovered completely." He suggested.

"I am fine." She glanced at her body; her wounds were bandaged, she had some stitches and her broken bones were almost completely healed. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"Two days." He informed her.

"Did you tend to my wounds?" she asked him, trying not to appear as surprised as she felt.

He simply nodded, as he walked passed her and stood upon a small pile of dry branches. He blew fire from his mouth and the warm light gave the space some hospitality. He sat in seiza in front of it, completely removing his cape.

Mirai defensively approached him and stared at him. Was he seriously saving her now?

"What do you want?" she demanded coldly. He turned his onyx eyes on her face and returned the intensity of her gaze.

"Good manners would be appreciated." He replied strictly after a few seconds.

"Thank you." She said coldly. He nodded again.

She sat across him in lotus position and kept her eyes on him. The flame reflected on his velvety pupils.

"Are you going to look at me forever?" he mocked her after a while.

"Do you intend to stay here that long?" she sneered.

He glared at her. 'She is impossibly stubborn' he thought. 'Part of her charm' a small voice added mentally. He chuckled.

"What?" she demanded. He just shook his head in reply.

Mirai sighed and tried to reason with him. "Itachi why are you doing this?"

He looked at her. "What are you asking me?"

"Why do you "like our conversations"? Why are you taking the risk to save me?" she insisted, her voice soft and convincing but her gaze sharp and absolute.

He peered into her eyes. "You always ask questions that you are not prepared to have answered."

"I cannot believe your motives are as innocent as you present them to be."

"Then stay quiet." He stated coldly.

Mirai felt her rage roaring somewhere deep in her chest. Her eyes focused on the flames as she striven to control her temper. Itachi studied her expression and decided to leave it alone.

Right then two black ravens entered the cave, each one holding a big fish on their sharp beaks. The girl froze but then she remembered that this was probably his summoning technique; she had gathered some information on her journey here at the Mist Village. The birds left the fish on his feet and flew outside again. He casually pulled out two kunai and created an improvised grill. He then proceeded to pull a flask out his back pocket.

"Do you want water?" He asked her.

She was thirsty and the taste of the sea wasn't completely gone yet but she shook her head, arrogantly. He put the flask by the fire and ignored her as he watched the fish was cooked. Mirai pulled a small wooden box from her ruined kimono that was still on the floor, along with the weapons she was carrying, and she took one food pill out of it. She swallowed it swiftly and sat away from the fire. His eyes followed her movements.

"Are you so intimidated by me? Do you think I might have poisoned the entire ocean now?" he mocked her.

She didn't reply as she leaned her back on the wall and closed her eyes.

"Stubborn brat." He laughed in a low voice.

"Obnoxious prick." She replied coldly.

Soon after that, Mirai succumbed to sleep again.

4.

Mirai woke up some time later. The fire was snuffed and the cave was quiet. It appeared like the storm would calm down soon but the rain was still heavy outside and some thunders hit here and there. She opened her eyes discreetly and searched for him in the dark. Itachi was sleeping, closer to the exit of the cave, using his coat as pillow and resting his left hand on his abdomen. His hair was still in ponytail and his feet were crossed. He appeared relaxed and comfortable. Mirai held her breath; this was her chance. She pulled one of her kunai close to her and then she firmly grabbed it. She approached him on all fours, silently, taking advantage of the bad weather. She activated her dojutsu and she focused on his vitals. She could take him out in his sleep and be done with him. She finally reached him and she could now listen to his peaceful breathing. His face was occasionally enlightened by the thunders outside. She examined his calm expression; he seemed almost harmless as he slept, his long dark lashes casting shadows on his fair complexion.

A few moments passed and Mirai put the kunai back in her pants' pocket. She wouldn't kill him in his sleep and that would be the way for her to return the favor. He healed her wounds, she didn't inflict him any. She decided to leave early in the morning, preferably before him. She was now in a condition to travel and Bo would probably reach Kusagakure in three days.

She held in a sigh as her Byakugan faded and turned around to lie at her space again when she felt a firm grapple on her forearm. He was awake.

"I was betting that you would go for the kill." He said calmly as she turned again to see him. His face was very close to hers. "Can I ask you what stopped you?"

"I owe you nothing now." She told him coldly. His eyes shimmered in the night and he moved too fast for her to react. He pulled her beneath him and grabbed her other free hand, too. She managed to bring her knee on his stomach and hold him in distance the moment she noticed a black spark at the ceiling of the cave. A raven had been watching. She failed to spot it earlier; what a clever bastard! His eyes were still black; his Sharingan wasn't activated.

"Did I tell you that you owe me?" he hissed. Mirai could tell he was angry and deep down she enjoyed the fact that she had forced him to snap.

"You would expect my gratitude and I harbor none!" she replied firmly, an arrogant smile pinned on her face.

"I don't expect anything from you or anyone else, so, unless you'd like to challenge my temper, be quiet and listen when someone is talking to you." He warned her. His expression was serious and dark.

Mirai lifted her chin in defiance, bringing her face closer to his. "I'd like to challenge your temper." She said conceitedly.

They locked eyes again, exposing their pride. Itachi came closer and she didn't back away although she was surprised when he kissed her forcefully on the lips. She bit him and he pulled away, licking the blood on his lower lip. Mirai then kissed him back; it was now his turn to be flustered. A few seconds passed and she stopped and looked at him.

They kissed again, this time both of them initiating it and he released her hands and rolled on the cold and hard floor of the cave, bringing her body above his. She pulled his hair with one hand and grabbed his shoulder with the other. Itachi locked his hands on her waist, pushing her body against his own, while they kept kissing passionately. Every little detail about who they were flew away as they discovered each other with no weapons or manners but mere instinct.

A few moments passed and the room felt no longer cold and humid; they had lost their shirts and she was now below him, her hands running on the perfect physique of his torso and her open lips on his silver chain, hanging loosely around his neck. He had lowered his head to look at her and he was holding her hips firmly around his waist.

A thunder fell very close to the cave, making them both stop for a moment but that was all that their fragile truce needed in order to collapse.

They stared at each other, both of them apparently intoxicated by the moment but then they moved instantly away, putting as much distance as the cave allowed between them.

Mirai looked at him in the dark that they both could ignore. He was topless and breathless, blocking the exit of the cave with his beautiful figure. His muscles were tensed and his hair was almost undone. She realized he was the most beautiful man she had ever met and that she always knew but she had decided to ignore it for so many reasons, each and every one of them now rushing back into her head.

Itachi looked at her standing at the depth of the cave, her small but feminine figure trembling because of him; her short hair all messed up, her pearly eyes reflecting the moonlight even in this darkness. He wanted her! That's why he kept walking towards her, that's why all these years he would have dreams of the Hyuuga symbol shimmering on her kimono. He wanted her since the first time he saw her in that empty corridor during the Chuunin Exams in Konoha; they were both young back then so he didn't realize his fascination had another source.

More time passed and the revelation made the room suffocating.

"You seem perfectly fine to travel." He said coldly as he gathered his shirt from the floor. She didn't answer but she picked up her ruined kimono and wrapped it around her; she didn't even want to go near him right now to retrieve her own shirt.

"Let's dance again next time." He said and -like he did the last time- he disappeared.

Mirai stood still for a few silent moments and then she sat on the floor, formally.

"Jerk." she said to herself. The odds were currently bad.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hey guys! Thank you so much for your comments! It took me a while to write this particular chapter since I had no clue how to begin but finally I figured it out, so there you go ;) I'm looking forward to read your reactions since I love this story so much. I'm feeling like I mislabeled it as Adventure, maybe Hurt would be more appropriate... Anyway, enjoy 3**

The flower that blooms between the lands and the heavens.

1.

Kakashi glimpsed outside his window when a dark figure appeared inside his room.

"This is dangerous" he mused, slowly turning to face the young kunoichi. "Had it been anyone else you could be stabbed with the excuse of trespassing, Mirai."

Mirai stared at him, unimpressed. "Had it been anyone else, I would have taken different measures, Kakashi-san."

"Why are you here?" he inquired, carefully monitoring her aura. This girl was always so well composed that he couldn't afford to be careless around her. She had this vibe about her, a feeling that no matter the occasion she was unsafe, a snake under the grass.

Mirai smiled coldly. "I am here to see you, of course" she replied, her voice calm and serene.

"Why?" he shifted his weight, leaning against the wall by the window. She made two steps forward and the light of the moon framed her silhouette, bringing out the color of her big, ghostly eyes.

"I should inform you that this meeting is unofficial" she began. "I want something only you can provide properly" she explained, moving closer to him.

He wore his black tight sleeveless turtleneck, that hid half of his face but not his scarred eye. "I's afraid that I cannot indulge in any kind of favors even to someone like you without my Hokage's permission" he warned her calmly, ignoring her cat-like behavior. He had met too many kunoichi in his career to be fooled by soft spoken words and seductive signs.

She smiled, narrowing her eyes like she was attempting to read his thoughts. "Any kind of favors? What a good boy" she mocked him, "Loyal dogs are the only useful ones after all."

"If you came here to insult me you better leave immediately. You are here unofficially, which leads me to believe that no one knows you came to me. If something happens to you, especially here in Konoha, it could damage our diplomatic relations." He straightened his body again and focused his eyes on her playful gaze. He should admit that she had grown into a beautiful young woman and therefor a very dangerous one. Mirai arched her eyebrow.

"You are barking at the wrong tree, Kakashi-san. I have a mission for you and this is not me asking for a favor. It's me asking for information which I am willing to pay for. Generously." she added, a small smile still on her otherwise arrogant expression.

"What sort of information could you possibly seek with me?" he demanded, frowning. She wouldn't be that stupid to go to him for information on his village, she knew he was dedicated to Konoha. She reached for the back of her pants and he immediately caught her arm, keeping her still. She gazed at his extended hand and then she cleared her throat. He released her cautiously.

"Don't move so suddenly." He warned her.

"I am flattered Kakashi-san, to make you this nervous, I must be considered dangerous."

"I know that you will be in the future, however you are still too young." he hinted, casually leaning back again. She pulled a scroll out of her pocket and handed it to him. He took it reluctantly and examined its seal.

"Open it" she commanded, her eyes becoming distant again as she looked outside his window.

He obeyed her order out of curiosity alone. Inside there was information about several locations on the Rain Village, along with some names of locals and shinobi identities, most of them Anbu and Rogue Ninja.

"What is this?" he demanded, searching for her eyes.

"This is what I want you to investigate. I believe valuable clues are hidden in the Rain about a particular foe of my Clan. I would like to destroy his threat as soon as possible" she explained, absentmindedly.

"Hyuga Ichirou." He confirmed and she nodded. "Why me?"

"Because I want this to be achieved discreetly and you are a sufficient option" she mused while she walked away from him, wondering in his room. He followed her with caution again.

"You must think that you have something valuable to offer me, making such a bold request" he guessed, frowning.

"As a matter of fact I do" she said playfully, swirling around to meet his piercing eyes. "I have information on a very, very dangerous man from your village." She grinned.

'Itachi' Kakashi thought. "So you met with him, after all".

She shook her head. "Let's meet again when you have finished and we can talk about it."

She passed by him and headed towards his door but as soon as she reached for the knob he put his hand on it, stopping her from opening. They both moved fast as she pressed a kunai upon his lower torso without even turning around and he grasped the blade to stop it from stabbing him, his other hand still extended above her shoulder, blocking her exit. Thankfully he wore his combat gloves. She didn't turn to look at him but he saw her shivering.

"I am not finished talking. I could take you to custody right now." He whispered, his tone serious.

"You can take me there but tomorrow morning my family will pick me up. Don't be silly now, Kakashi-san" She replied cockily.

He felt the urge to knock her unconscious right then and there. "You refused to meet with me and discuss in the past. Why would I do as you say now?"

"Because that's what dogs do" she hissed, revolving smoothly inside his grip to be able to stare at his eyes.

"Shut it. I can make you spill it with a thousand different ways before I even consider to follow your directions" He said through his teeth.

"However you already know that there is no way you can get those information. My body and mind are protected and my will is ironclad, Kakashi-san. You would waste your time and chakra, honestly."

He clenched his teeth behind his mask. "Whatever information you have must not be really conclusive for you to risk sharing them. It doesn't worth my time and chakra indeed" he said pushing her away from him and pinning her against the door.

She smiled maliciously. "Fine by me. I should visit his next of kin then."

Kakashi looked at her. "What?"

"Uchiha Sasuke, he lives nearby. I believe he would be more than happy to find out that someone actually can get him near his big brother" Mirai explained, pushing his hands away from her body as she placed her weapon back in her uniform.

Kakashi froze. She was serious. He cursed under his breath. "I'll do it" he finally agreed.

"Good" she nodded, her expression cold and distant again. She tossed him something and while he caught it, she had already left the room.

He opened his palm to find a small, puppy shaped biscuit. He crumbled it in his hand as he imagined the sensation of slipping his kunai through her neck.

2.

Mirai was almost back in Kusagakure when she allowed herself to take a rest at a beautiful clearing in the forest. She sat down in the middle of it, her short black hair becoming one with the grass and the flowers beneath her. She stared at the night sky that was all starry and bright. It was then that her stomach caught up with her emotions as she immediately popped up to vomit somewhere else. When she finished, she wiped her mouth with a wet cloth and tried to catch her breath. He had terrified her again but she managed to appear cool. Hatake Kakashi was still too strong for her, she acted tough but honestly she was terrified of a sneak attack until she crossed the borders.

'Calm down' she said to herself as she got up and walked away from the clearing, deeper into the forest of her homeland.

3.

Itachi had been watching her from afar for an entire day. The Akatsuki would soon begin their missions with target no one else but the tailed beasts and of course his services would be needed. One of them was in Konoha, hidden inside the son of the Fourth Hokage. The boy's name was Uzumaki Naruto and he was at the same age Sasuke was. This could mean that Itachi would have to return at his village soon, this time as an enemy. Wasn't he considered one already? He couldn't afford to have anyone else go there and maybe cause unnecessary harm.

He almost met with one of Konoha's greatest shinobi and his superior in the ANBU forces when he was travelling at Rain Village: Hatake Kakashi. The strange part was that Kakashi-san was interrogating some people back in the Village Hidden in the Rain about a particular Rogue Ninja, Hyuuga Ichirou. Itachi immediately felt that this was Mirai's scheme which meant she had offered him something in exchange and he was certain that this could be dangerous for himself. Had Mirai finally decided to cross him? It wasn't much of a deal of course, she was a great kunoichi but as a human being she was imperfect and thus beautiful.

Itachi knew that whatever information Mirai had to offer wasn't too important but again they could be used against him. He sighed as he saw her exiting the training grounds of her district. Many Hyuuga members passed by her during her walk back to her house, all of them stopped to greet her. He reminisced the days when he would walk around in the Uchiha district and everyone would tell him something nice and hand him sweets. He smiled halfheartedly at his peaceful memory. He wondered if Mirai could understand the corruption of the Clans and the politics that only caused pain and loss but he doubted it. She was a child born and raised in this system; she knew nothing outside of it and would probably die defending it.

Her elder brother, though, was different. He had noticed the sickness in people's minds, their hunger for power and control and had tried to stop it with his own hands ever since. He was, like Itachi, a man that left everything behind and fought everyday to do good against all odds. If only he had met her brother earlier... They could be working together now. Hyuuga Ichirou was misunderstood in many ways, Itachi knew this by now. He also thought that the Hyuuga heir was a selfish brat, having his little rebellion on the shoulders of his little sister but then he also thought that clans could be changed, that old minds could be moved by the younger ones. The sad truth was that what Itachi and Ichirou had been imagining was nothing but a dream. There is no change without sacrifice, there is no peace without war and there is no better future without blood.

Mirai finally made it home and she took off her shoes outside the wooden veranda. She entered the minka quietly. She was home alone. Itachi thought about his long discussion with Ichirou last summer.

"Aren't you going to ask me about her?" he had asked at some point.

"I must say I'm scared to ask!" Ichirou admitted shaking his head with a warm, stressed smile on his face; Itachi thought that his features were too sharp to appear sweet yet he managed it very well.

"Then I will leave you to it." Itachi concluded and turned to leave but the older man stopped him.

"Wait!" he sighed "Tell me. How is she?"

The Uchiha traitor turned and faced the Hyuuga rogue ninja. "She is very strong and talented. She is feared among the other shinobi and she has exceptional genjutsu skills." He answered simply, fully aware that his reply wouldn't cover her brother's question.

"This last comment is very impressive coming from you, Uchiha Itachi! However..." Ichirou hesitated but then he continued, "...what I want to know is...Is she happy? She was a happy kid."

Itachi locked eyes with the man. "I don't think she is interested in happiness." He replied simply, thinking about her strict gaze and her steady voice, so different from her brother's.

Ichirou's features darkened, his emotions were clear. Itachi thought about his little brother. He would be the same as her, wouldn't he?

"I see." The man said finally. "She will find happiness one day. I know her heart better than anyone, even her. She has too much room there to be left alone."

"An empty space is often easy to destroy." Itachi argued.

"Her heart isn't empty. Does she still enjoy walks in the forest and gazing at the sky?" he asked him, a hint of a smile on his handsome face.

Itachi thought about it and nodded, uncertain about Ichirou's point. The other man smiled radiantly.

"When someone fits the world and its beauty in their heart, they can be saved. When you can love the land and the sky, you are bound to them; between the forests and the clouds there is people. Mirai always loved things that were pure, she always protected them. This truth in her heart will someday save her. I honestly believe this, no, I believe in her." He explained, his expression calm and hopeful.

Itachi felt his stomach twist; his words touched him deeply but he couldn't speak. He just nodded again and they parted soon after that.

4.

Mirai left a relief sigh as she sunk in the warm, scented water of her large ofuro tub, her back facing the open sliding panels that had a view on her private garden. It was late evening and everything was quiet. Although she couldn't sense the chakra of her intruder, she felt she wasn't alone. Somehow, no one ever left her at peace.

"You can come out now, I am unarmed." she said casually, rubbing her shoulder with fragrant flower oils.

"I beg to differ." She heard him reply from distance as he removed his shoes outside the room and walked in.

"Itachi. What unlucky wind brings you here?" She demanded, unfazed. She raised her eyes to meet his as he was now in front of her.

He tilted his head a little bit, looking at her face. "I am more concerned about your lack of shyness, bathing naked in front of a man like it's nothing" he scolded her with a strict expression.

"I believe that men from Konoha are generally unimpressed by the female body. Am I wrong?"

"Have many men visited your private bath in such circumstances?"

"You would be surprised."

"Was Hatake Kakashi one of them?"

"Depends who you ask."

"I am asking you." he said, his voice sounded angrier than he intended to.

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you concerned about your safety or are you just jealous?"

He glared at her and she lifted her chin in defiance; Itachi always found this particular move she made both infuriating and sexy.

"You are shameless." he replied finally.

"My body is nothing to be ashamed of; I am not responsible of your thoughts about it." She argued while she captured some water in her palms and brought it upon her hair.

"Should I join you then?" He purposed provokingly.

She looked at him. "You do realize that you will have to have a shower first and undress completely in order to join me in the tub, right?"

"Where is the shower?" He inquired while taking his coat off.

She pointed him the direction with a half smile. He proceeded to the showering area that was concealed from the bath, taking his clothes off and folding them. Mirai waited until she heard the sound of the flowing water to activate her dojutsu. He was honestly naked and preparing to come in the bathtub with her!

She panicked. Did she push him too far? What did he have in mind? Did he think that because of what happened two months ago in the cave, she would...? Did he expect her to...?

She took a deep breath trying to calm herself. Men would always be men and want something more if they could have it but this particular one was more dangerous than the Bingo Book described him to be; he was dangerous to her, as a man. Mirai knew she was physically attracted to him, however, she shouldn't allow herself to fall for his charms. On the other hand...

He came out of the shower and she instantly deactivated her byakugan and pretended to be in deep thought while he came in the room, completely undressed and dripping with water. She looked away as he sunk in the ofuro, pushing the water at the limit of the tub. He chuckled and she looked at his black eyes that appeared to be amused.

"What?" she asked him

"I just didn't know that you were the kind of woman that would look away." He explained, obviously satisfied with her reaction.

She frowned. His hair was loose and she could clearly see most of his chest and neck. He was extremely attractive indeed.

"I was trying to be polite."

"That's a first."

She narrowed her eyes, strictly. "You are pressing your luck, Itachi."

He smiled at her and she smiled back. For a moment they both felt like the two ten-year-old chuunin they were when they first met. He brushed his long ebony hair with his wet fingers to get the water through. She sighed.

"Let's talk about it." She announced.

He raised an eyebrow, wondering.

"You are the one who wants to have conversations all the time, begin." She pressed.

"Talk about what?" he asked her, a bad feeling growing in his stomach.

"About all the pointless things that happen in this space between you and me." Mirai explained annoyed.

It was his turn to sigh and look deeply in her eyes. She remained steady and focused as the only sound in the room was their calm breathing and the water dripping from the edge of her short hair. Her expression became softer. His eyes wondered on her neck and he saw the small pedant made of wood that was floating on the surface of the water.

"Love?" he read the kanji absentmindedly.

Her eyes became larger as she looked to were he was staring. Indeed floating in the space between her and him was...Love. She started to feel dizzy and feverish.

"Love." he repeated firmly this time, looking at her. "You want to discuss it?"

"No." she said, feeling more and more at the verge of having a panic attack. She moved to get out of the tub, out of the room entirely.

He grappled her hand as she stood. Mirai calculated the odds and quickly realized that this battle was lost and had no victor.

'Let me go...' she begged in her thoughts. 'Pull out a knife and try to end me, say you are joking, use me but don't love me.'

He started to pull her in the water again and she fought to find the urge to resist. He looked at her small, elegant body. It was marked with scars; some older and some fresh. He wondered if he had caused any of them. It was as she said: This love between them was pointless. They could never have it and they could never make something out of it. They were born to fight and die, their eyes were the absolute proof of this.

However he did love her, he wanted to find this space in her heart that her brother described, where the forests were filled with flowers and the skies would weep with him. He wanted to fill this space with purity that she loved, with laughter and warmth. He pictured a day when she would wake up next to him and immediately frown at his lack of facade. She would scold him for removing the kunai that she kept below her pillow and he would give her a silly and cheesy excuse, saying that she would always be safe when she slept with him. They would argue about who would make breakfast so he would, because not only women should cook and she was a remarkable kunoichi and a clan leader etc... Then they would probably eat food pills since he was a horrible cook and she would nag him and say he was good for nothing. He would nod and give her a kiss on the forehead.

Itachi tried to remain composed. He had killed this kind of future years ago when he decided to be someone else. The ultimate weapon of the Leaf, a criminal with a cause.

She fell back into the tub by his force, sending water off the edge of the the tub. He put his arms around her small shoulders, hesitantly, feeling her back touching his torso. She held her hands together under the water and he wondered if she would make any signs to attack him soon.

"You are probably right" he said, agreeing with her former statement of not discussing it. He rested his head on her shoulder, listening to her vitals that were now faster. He could smell her particular fragrance that had nothing to do with all the flower scents in the water.

"Then what are you doing?" she inquired, her voice weak.

"I'm being pointless as I always do."

"What does this even mean?" she demanded, now sounding frustrated.

"Love."

"No..." she whispered.

"What's horrifying is that you love me, too." He claimed and she shifted abruptly to look at him as he moved his head back to look back at her. Her eyes were big and angry, her lips a thin line.

His face was serene and painted with soft sorrow. His gaze was velvety and his skin was more pale than usual. He was beauty incarnate. Mirai looked at him, trying to reason with her feelings. How could she love him? She knew nothing about him, they had never spoken about meaningful things. She was incapable of love, she should be. Love never wrote history but she would! She looked at him yet she knew, that whatever it was that they never said to each other, she always heard it with her eyes. She was in love with death.

Nevertheless, she was in love.

"I can't love you." She concluded, staring fiercely into his eyes.

"I can't love you either." He agreed.

"So we forget about it?"

"Absolutely."

He said as they both leaned closer and their lips touched.


	7. Chapter 7

"I will walk by myself  
and cure myself  
in the sunshine and the wind."  
― Charles Reznikoff

1.

The night was dark and windy. The Hyuuga district was quiet and everyone was either sleeping or on duty. Mirai and Itachi finally parted their throbbing bodies and fell breathless on the soft futon mattress in Mirai's chamber. His hair was sticking on his sweaty neck and torso as he caught his breath, looking at her. She had her eyes closed and she rested the back of her hand upon her forehead, licking her lips.

"Are you thirsty?" he asked.

She didn't respond but she stood up and poured herself a glass of water on the nightstand. He watched her naked body flexing gloriously as her gaze returned to him, above the glass.

"What?" he inquired, prepared for yet another fight.

"You should go." She replied simply, her voice soft as she grabbed her white silky robe and wrapped it around her small figure. She was pale but her skin was shimmering and her eyes were feverish; the perfect image of a ghost.

He got out of the mattress and went back into the showering area, not responding to her. It was obvious she was already regretting her spontaneous reaction to him.

Mirai opened her veranda sliding door just a little in order to get some fresh air in the room. She sat in seiza in front of the opening, hoping to catch a glimpse of the stars. The moon was supposed to be full tonight but the sky was heavy and cloudy. She sighed as she heard the water stop flowing in the shower.

Moments later he came into the bedroom in full attire but his coat, nothing giving away his previous action but maybe his wet hair that was now in a neat ponytail again. The long black bangs that framed his beautiful face appeared sharp as blades. His eyes burned her like coals as he stepped closer to her. She could see everything he did but she never turned her eyes towards him.

"Why won't you even look at me?" He asked calmly. He examined her blank expression and her small body that a few minutes ago was trembling in ecstasy beneath him, now appearing almost lifeless.

"You disgust me." She replied in the sweetest voice she could possibly make. "Go."

He blinked in shock. "I disgust you? That's all you have to say?" He demanded quietly, trying not to lose his temper.

"Yes. Leave, now." She said as she stood up and passed by him as she headed to her wardrobe.

"I see." He chuckled as he put on his coat.

By the time Mirai had opened the closet's door, he had disappeared from her room. She turned around and made sure he was gone. The room was cold now, unfriendly. She almost ran and closed the sliding door to her veranda, feeling tears welling up her eyes.

'Don't cry. Don't you dare cry.' She scolded herself. She took a few well-managed breaths in order to calm down and she just fell on the mattress, numb and silent.

The sheets were cold too, however his scent was still lingering there. She infused chakra to her palms and blew it accurately towards the small flames of the candles in her room, effectively snuffing them. Darkness fell around her and although she could always see through it, she felt better. She reluctantly hugged the parts of the sheet that smelled more like him and closed her eyes, feeling tired beyond compare.

2.

Itachi didn't rest for days since he had to travel as fast as possible back to the Akatsuki. He tried not to think about what happened and as he failed, he tried to accept it instead. He couldn't guess what she was thinking about, how she felt. She had kicked him out right after they shared her bed, the state of her was inscrutable and distant.

The moment they kissed his mind was almost completely full of her, just a small portion of his perception was active in case of a surprise attack. Things happened too fast indeed but she never told him to stop; on the contrary, she had led him in her room and she often took charge of their intimate dance. What had happened?

Itachi understood that Mirai wasn't good at dealing with emotions, she was trained to suppress them and that was part of the reason why she became such an excellent kunoichi. He perfectly respected that but he could easily channel his emotions when he wasn't on duty.

"However she is always on duty..." he muttered to himself, unable to resist her even in a distance.

"Who is?" He heard a voice close to his ear. His partner had joined him.

He didn't reply and Kisame didn't insist. "Let's see what they have for us, shall we?"

Itachi nodded and Kisame sighed. "With a partner like you, I appear talkative." The older man mused as they increased their speed.

3.

"Regarding the next group of genin that you'll be in charge of-"

"Me again?"

"Now now, don't look so upset. I'm sure they will hold your interest..." the Third Hokage promised to Kakashi as they walked inside the village, to inspect the new shinobi.

Kakashi would be in charge of Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura.

"If they fail my test, I'm not going to promote them just because of who they are." Kakashi claimed firmly, hinting Naruto's and Sasuke's backgrounds.

"Do what you have to do. I trust you." The Hokage replied serioudly and the younger man returned the gaze.

"I'll meet them." He agreed.

"There is another individual I want you to meet as well, Kakashi." The Third said cautiously.

The Jonin sighed. "I am planning to do so, this weekend. Are you convinced this is our best option?"

"It's an option I don't want to shut down yet. Have you ever noticed this individual around children, Kakashi?" The old man asked, his eyes fixed on the bright blue mid-day sky.

The younger man frowned and shook his head.

"If you ever have the chance to see, you might comprehend why I believe she is someone we can trust the future with..." he mused, mysteriously.

Kakashi nodded once, unconvinced. He had the information he needed and maybe by this weekend Uchiha Sasuke would be a Genin. He had to take his measures against Itachi. No one had enough intel about him apart from her.

He sighed again.

4.

"Mother?" Mirai whispered discreetly.

Hyuuga Shizuka stared back at her daughter. "What is it?"

"Why are we preparing the house for guests?" she demanded. "I was expecting you and father next week."

"We had to change our schedule for security reasons. We will accept some guests from Konoha this evening." The Hyuuga Clan Leader explained.

"Konoha?" Mirai asked, displeased. They were taking a stroll at the training grounds to observe the new genin of their clan. Everybody was training at Taijutsu and Mirai felt a little nostalgic. She made a mental note to check up on her former teammates.

"Yes. Apparently the main house there believes you are ready to succeed your father therefor they appointed a husband to you." Shizuka responded, sarcastically.

Mirai halted and turned to face her mother. "What did you say? You and father are perfectly capable of leading. I am still too young-"

"I know all these, Mirai" she interrupted, "but we have no option in this case."

"They want me out of the battlefield." Mirai realized, furious.

"You have proven yourself too useful in our clan, they can't risk your reputation exceeding their Heiress's." Shizuka explained, her voice sharp and cold.

"Can we stall them?" Mirai inquired.

"Of course we will however not indefinitely. At some point we will have to accept it. In any case, your fiance will arrive tonight along with Hiashi-dono."

Mirai nodded. "Who is he? The man I am to have?"

"He is more of a boy still. His name is Hyuuga Neji and he of course belongs to the branch clan from Konoha's Hyuuga." Her mother replied hastily. "He is considered a genius there but he is still a genin at the age of thirteen. I don't have many information about him but I will learn all we need to know tonight."

"A branch member? This is a disgrace Mother!" Mirai protested.

"Do you think I don't realize that they are trying to overcome us? They will fail even if they make you marry their worthless daughter!" she hissed.

Mirai felt a pinch of guilt, thinking about the little girl she met back at Konoha. She was happy she made it into becoming a genin, at least. It was a good omen. Whatever ill-feelings she had against Konoha she couldn't share the same thoughts about Hinata-sama; she was always remembering her sweetly. She wondered if she had changed since then, if she became a tool like her.

She looked at her mother and nodded again. "The boy is young, marriage would be inappropriate. I can handle an engagement."

"You can avoid this marriage for two years at most, Mirai, no more. Do you understand?" Her mother hinted, looking deep into her daughter's eyes. "It's your duty."

"I will accept whatever duty my Clan demands." Mirai claimed firmly, returning her mother's gaze.

The older woman almost smiled as she took a lock out of Mirai's hair and held it for a few seconds.

"I am content that I gave birth to you, my child. You are the only reason I am not burning this place to the ground." She mused, absentmindedly.

Mirai's eyes narrowed. "Hyuuga-dono..."

"Enough. Let's have some tea before those clowns arrive." She said simply, removing her shoes to enter the minka.

Mirai followed her without any second thoughts.

5.

Kakashi arrived at Kusagakure along with the Hyuuga Head as part of his Anbu bodyguards. He left unnoticed and he utilized every possible technique he was familiar with in order to remain hidden during their dinner at the Hyuuga House in Grass. He watched Mirai meet Neji for the first time and he thought that they would make an excellent political couple. The trouble was that none of them would be willing to leave the battlefield. Hyuuga Neji was a very serious shinobi and a very competitive one as well. Hyuuga Mirai had the ambition of becoming a God. They would clash a lot but if they found common grounds they could become a natural disaster. Apart from that, Mirai and Neji both harbored ill-feelings for Konoha's Hyuuga Main Clan. Was this mating well thought by Hyuuga Hiashi? Kakashi thought. Of course, Neji had the curse mark of the Clan on his forehead, making it impossible for him to resist Hiashi's will but on the other hand, if he and Mirai made a pact, he could become a horrible threat.

At some point during dinner, Mirai's eyes glimpsed towards his direction. He remained hidden, wondering if she had noticed him; she was specially trained against ANBU, Kakashi knew that. Yet again, to be discovered by her in such short time was a bad indicator. She was evolving too fast. Soon she would be invincible.

After she excused herself for the night he crawled inside her chamber and hid himself in case she came with company. Mirai entered alone and she immediately started to remove her hair and ear pieces, obviously frustrated. He sneaked behind her and only when he stood ten feet behind her, a kunai came at his direction. He caught it mid-air, inches away from his headband.

"Byakugan allows me to see without looking, Kakashi-san." She greeted him calmly as she turned around to face him, wearing a heavy, formal kimono with many layers. The colors were mostly red and gold.

"If I meant to remain hidden, I would act likewise. I'm here to report." He said simply, walking closer to her to return her weapon. She took it with half a smile and knelt before him, sitting in seiza. She concealed the kunai somewhere in the layers of her kimono.

He took one step back and sat in the lotus position, across her. "What do you have for me?" He inquired, his tone flat and cold.

"You first. You said you had to make a report. Was your mission successful?" she demanded, staring at him. The dim light in the room made the shadows on her face dance, creating minor illusions.

"I want proof that you have what it takes for me to reply." He insisted, unfazed.

She arched an eyebrow but didn't protest any further; she stood up and left the room momentarily. When she returned at her place, she had a sealed scroll in her hands.

"Everything you need is in this parchment." She said.

He examined her tired expression; her regular vigor was somewhat lost today. She must had been in a bad mood because of her engagement or something. He didn't want to press his luck and provoke her; he much preferred her quiet and formal.

He took out a similar scroll and placed it between them, extending his hand to take the one she held. She gave it to him, but the moment she did, the shadowdance on her face made her appear sad. Kakashi frowned. He never thought she could possess such an expression but then again, it could be an illusion. He nodded.

"I will leave you to it then." He claimed as he got up. He didn't want to stay with her longer than necessary.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Kakashi-san." She said, still on her knees, looking at the scroll in front of her, mystified. "You can go."

He bit his tongue for two reasons: The first one was because he wanted to tell her that she wasn't in position to dismiss him and the second because he almost asked her what was wrong with her. Both of these questions weren't useful.

He simply nodded, lingering for a few seconds and then he left her alone. He resisted his curiosity to stalk her for a little longer and traveled directly to Konoha, filled with impatience about the scrolls contents.

His team had passed the test and now he was considered a teacher as well as a bodyguard. In his team, he had a monster and a ghost. He couldn't decide which one would be a greater challenge.

6.

Itachi watched the rain curtain falling endlessly upon Amegakure. The grey skyscrapers were the only constructions between the mists and the clouds and created the optical illusion of a floating city. The sound was deafening yet somehow it helped him clear his thoughts. He was tired. Lately he had been thinking about this whole plan and how pointless it was, how nothing would change because he sacrificed everything.

He closed his eyes and focused on the violent sound of the rain. He tried to remember his parents only to be confronted by the last memory he had from them; their lifeless bodies in front of him, blood pooling beneath them, eyes shut and pale limbs awkwardly mingled. He shook his head and tried to think about Sasuke. Again, the only memory he could recreate was his little brother's eyes, pouring tears as he gagged in fear and begged him to end his life too.

Itachi opened his eyes and as he stood in the rain, his tears could not be seen. His expression never changed when he cried; practice makes perfect. Konoha was a sunny place with sunbathed people and hearts. He was uprooted from his land and did his service everywhere else, as he promised, but now, at the dawn of his sacrifice he lost hope. He still believed in humanity, in peace, however he found himself struggling to remember how those values feel upon one's skin. Crime and murder have been taking their toll on him and -although his conviction was immaculate- his life lost its meaning day after day.

He jumped from the concrete rooftop and landed on an alley, through the mist. He started walking slowly towards the entrance of the village. Once there, he wondered if he could just walk home, find Sasuke and beg for forgiveness, return his marked headband and maybe try to atone for his sins. Suddenly all of his ghosts appeared before him: His mother smiling with her doe-like eyes, his father with a hint of a smile, his brother frowning because he wanted his attention, Izumi blushing in his presence, Shisui smirking at him secretly... He also saw her, sitting in seiza in front of the rest, lifting her chin in defiance, a wild look on her pearly eyes; The only byakugan between all those pairs of sharingan.

The guards of the gate hadn't noticed him yet. He could easily slip by their attention and leave, never to return.

Unfortunately he wouldn't. The chains of destiny were biting on his bones; no punishment was enough to wash away the blood on his hands. He took responsibility for his Clan's mistakes. Backing off now, would be the ultimate disgrace to his family and to his village. Had he acted like the child he was back then, he would have left the Uchiha Clan go through with their scheme to attack Konoha and seize the power over the village. He would still be home, but home wouldn't be the same; he knew he did the right thing.

It was just on of these days that he wept because no one could do the right thing but him. He cried for all the time he didn't spend with Sasuke, for all the drinks he didn't have with Shisui, for all the dates he didn't go to with Izumi. He cried for all the fights he missed with his father and all those discussions his mother would never have with him. He cried for all the mistakes he didn't make.

He didn't cry for Mirai, they were never meant to belong anyway. She would marry someone else as he would and they would lead separate lives, no matter the circumstances. Unless she was one of his mistakes, luckily. Could he have asked her to elope? Would she agree? Knowing her and her vision, that scenario was impossible but still, he smiled at his thought.

He turned away and walked back into the city that rain never stopped. Maybe death was a sunny place, after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is quick although it's long because I have been trying to move past the anime events in order to develop my story. I am rushing through some well known scenes because well, we know what happens there. Next chapter will be more original though! Hope you enjoy, can't wait to read your comments on this! Stay healthy!**

"When a man learns to love, he must bear the risk of hatred."  
― Uchiha Madara

**1\. **

Konoha was once again the proud host of the Chuunin Exams. That spring, the village hidden in the Grass was in full bloom and it appeared more peaceful and safe than ever; only a few were prepared for a potential crisis.

Hatake Kakashi was one of those special few. He watched from the Hokage building as her carriage stopped in front of the Hyuuga District. She stepped out of it, wearing a colorful yukata, her short black hair tidied neatly, revealing her porcelain neck and soft jawline. She appeared stoic and quiet as always. Before she disappeared behind the doors of her relative's house, she glimpsed towards him, aware of the fact that she was being watched. He frowned.

His eyes drifted from her and focused on the training grounds near the Uchiha District. One boy was sitting at the edge of the docks above the lake and like every man before him, he produced an impressive fireball that reflected above the calm water. Kakashi watched Sasuke as he trained on his clan's fire style techniques again and again and for a second his brother's image popped into mind. Itachi had been standing in the same exact spot, doing the exact same thing a few years ago, only difference was that Itachi did it better. Sasuke was very skilled but he wasn't his brother. Kakashi sighed beneath his mask.

Rushing his Team 7 to join the exams was a smart move; he had a feeling that this chance for them to create bonds with other shinobi wouldn't appear soon. As time passed by he noticed the darkness inside Sasuke growing, his hatred became deeper day by day. Sasuke wanted to kill Itachi and could think of nothing else. What worried Kakashi wasn't his student's ambition to take revenge but bis lack of attachment to everything else. That nothingness.

** 2.**

"Again" Mirai instructed.

Neji nodded and attacked her with their Clan's gentle fist style once more only to be defeated instantly. He had been losing his patience, as it became clear that they were at completely different levels. His fiance was not a member of the branch house and she was older than him but at his age she was already a Jonin. She fought him without any kind of caution, her byakugan wasn't even activated. She was confident that he wouldn't land a hit on her and that enraged him to his core but he wouldn't show his emotions. Keeping his expression serious he just did as he was told and attacked her again and again.

"Enough" she finally said, hours later. Neji was out of breath however she was calm and casual.

"I can continue, Mirai-sama." He said as collected as he could.

"Then let's have some tea after you clean yourself up." she proposed politely.

He was covered in sweat and mud by that point. He nodded and bowed.

Mirai tilted her head and sighed. "Meet me in my private rooms."

She ordered and left him alone with a small bow.

He glared at her small figure. She was four years older than him but they were almost at the same height, his body was larger than hers already. He didn't want to marry her, a head of the Hyuuga House. She represented everything he hated; political power, nobility and fake superiority. She was a spoiled princess just like his younger cousin, Hinata. The only difference was that his fiance wasn't weak like Hinata. She was cruel and feared. He knew she had been the main weapon of her village and clan the latest years. She was a monster in power and heart.

Neji reached his room and as he removed the bandages around his forehead he stared at his reflection in the mirror, the curse mark of his clan forged on his skin. The proof that he wasn't and never would be the master of his own will, that she or anyone as privileged as her could easily melt his brain with one simple movement. They didn't want to marry him to a woman, they wanted to give Mirai a pet. A slave.

His muscles tensed as he restrained himself. He'd rather die. He'd rather burn alive than bow to her, to the Hyuuga Clan. They had stolen everything from him. His father died to protect Hiashi. He never met his mother. Whatever family he had he was supposed to serve and now, she would marry a woman that would leave him for dead without any second thoughts. He would have to go on missions that she would pick, speak to people that she approved and always representing her best interest even if it wasn't his own.

Neji showered quickly and put on his clothes carefully. He brushed his long hair slowly; this procedure always calmed him and that's why he wouldn't cut it.

He walked towards her room and sat in front of it, waiting for an invitation as the etiquette instructed.

"Come in" He heard her say quietly and he slid the paper door. He then stood up, entered the room and closed the door behind him.

She was seated in the middle of her private tea room that only had a low table, some cushions and the painting of a sakura tree above the veranda doors that were wide open and had a beautiful view in the interior garden of her minka. On the table she was preparing tea, using the traditional tools. He took a glimpse at her and felt uneasy as he noticed she had also changed and now wore a white kimono improperly. It was pulled away from her shoulders and it was also revealing her knees as she sat in seiza. She wore no ornaments and her sleeves hid her hands completely.

"Sit, Neji." She ordered and he did as he was asked, sitting across the small table. She poured tea into a small cup and presented it to him. He took it with a small bow. The room was filled with fragrance, part of it was tea and part of it something flowery but foreign.

'That's her scent' he thought.

Her eyes lifted to meet his and for one second he wondered if she could read his mind. She took a cup herself and they both tasted the tea. It was perfect, of course. Neji stayed quiet, looking at his knees and constantly reminding himself that he was in no position to misbehave.

"Why are you covering your forehead in your own house?" she asked after a long silence.

He responded without raising his gaze. "Propriety."

"Look at me." She ordered and he did.

Her eyes were soft and emotionless. Mirai saw the edge in his glare. She left a half smile appear on her face.

"You are going to be my husband in the future. Do you intend to keep the bandages on in every occasion?" she inquired.

"Yes, Mirai-sama." he responded simply, his blood boiling already. She had no idea what it felt to have disgrace painted on your forehead.

"That's not good. You will ruin your skin." She argued without any passion.

She moved on her knees and reached his side of the table. Mirai raised a delicate hand and attempted to touch his bandages but he caught her hand firmly and glared at her.

"Don't act like a beast, it doesn't suit you. Let me see." She reasoned with him, her expression still unfazed.

Neji felt completely uncomfortable.

"Let me see" she insisted.

He left her hand and felt her soft fingers undoing the fabric around his forehead and beneath his hair. She moved her hands close to him like they were familiar with each other and he couldn't stand it. Just because they were engaged, she didn't have any right to be close to him. He swallowed trying to hold back his disgust. She took a good look at his curse mark and then her eyes dropped to his.

"You are a rare child, Neji." She said simply.

"Not many of our family are born this full of rage."

"I don't understand, Mirai-sama." He replied as carefully as he could.

She smiled this time, showing her teeth. She put one hand beneath the fabric of her kimono and pulled out a kunai. Neji stayed still, although he was instantly intimidated. She took his palm and although he tried to resist her grasp he couldn't, as she placed the blade in his grip.

"What are you doing?" he demanded strictly.

"I can sense your hatred. I am giving you a way out." She explained, her eyes still on his.

"Kill myself?" He asked, his voice was now trebling with anger.

"Kill me." She corrected him, seriously.

Neji's eyes widened.

"I won't resist." She continued as she lifted her neck, exposing all the soft flesh there.

"No. Even if I wanted to, I will lose my life for treachery." He explained, leaving the kunai on his lap.

"Even though you hate me-"

"I don't hate you, Mirai-sama."

"Don't interrupt me. Even though you hate me, are you that weak that you cannot bring yourself to end my life? You are preparing for the chuunin exams and when you are finished with it, your family will give you to me. You will be mine and mine alone, can you live with that?" She mused, a small grin on her face.

Neji clenched his teeth at her cocky expression. "Yes, madam."

She narrowed her eyes.

She didn't pick up the blade but she retreated back on her seat. He felt like he could breathe again.

"I see that we are a good match, Neji." She said simply as she had another sip of her tea.

He didn't respond to her but something about her eyes caught him off guard. She was looking at the garden and she appeared like she wasn't of this world.

"Do you like flowers?" He asked her and he regretted instantly. He shouldn't befriend her, she was the enemy.

"I really like flowers, Neji. I like flowers more than people." She responded softly. "You can leave. I don't need anything more from you."

He winced at her words but he stood up immediately. He didn't want to spend another second in this room with her.

"Meet me tomorrow at the training grounds so we can continue your preparation."

"Yes, Mirai-sama." He agreed and left in a rush.

He couldn't stand her soft voice and her distant gaze, no matter what he did she treated him like a child. She pitied him. He wasn't even considered a threat by her and why would he? He was nothing in comparison to her. He was just another statement from Konoha's Hyuuga to Kusagakure's Hyuuga.

Something unworthy to someone unwanted.

**3\. **

Mirai sneaked into the closed Arena to watch the preliminary one on one combats of the exam. She wanted to see Neji fight and maybe get a glimpse of Hinata-sama, since -conveniently enough- she didn't meet her anywhere in the district.

She missed the first battles but it appeared that Neji and Hinata-sama weren't matched with anyone yet.

Mirai looked at the little girl that should now be twelve years old. Her hair was shorter than her own, her body although appeared to be healthy was still soft. Hinata-sama was not a shinobi yet. She was a girl.

The screen that announced the matches lit up, revealing the eighth pair of participants.

Hyuuga Hinata versus Hyuuga Neji.

Mirai froze as she watched the two genin enter the battlegrounds. Neji's aura was intimidating while Hinata-sama appeared anxious.

They stood across from each other and Neji spoke.

"Withdraw." He warned his cousin. "You are not suited to being a shinobi".

Mirai examined his expression as his eyes changed in the presence of his byakugan.

'Extraordinary eyes.' she thought. She could feel his murderous intentions towards Hinata-sama and the little girl felt it, too. Mirai could see her every emotions on her face: Fear, panic and hurt. Suddenly a loud voice screamed from the crowd and Mirai's eyes spotted a blond boy with blue eyes that yelled at Hinata-sama.

"Give it to him, Hinata!" the boy said, his eyes flaming.

Mirai looked back at her and saw her clenching her teeth as she decided to fight.

'Interesting' Mirai thought as she took another glimpse at the boy.

The battle begun.

** 4\. **

The match as any Hyuuga battle wasn't spectacular to watch, unless one could see what happened with the chakra of the participants.

Mirai had no doubt that Neji would crush Hinata-sama; he fought to kill.

The result came fast and Neji was the winner.

Hinata-sama was transferred to the hospital and Mirai secretly followed her. Once she was in bed, no one came to visit her. The child sat there, crying hopelessly, alone. Mirai approached her and made her presence known.

Hinata tried to lift her upper body but Mirai held her down.

"I am here to return the favor, Hinata-sama" she said to the younger girl as she took a small jar out of her kimono.

"Mirai-san…" The girl managed to say weakly.

"Don't worry. You did great." Mirai tried to comfort her as she tended to her wounds with a special ointment that Ayuna-san had prepared for her.

Hinata bit her lower lip and tears kept pouring out of her eyes. "I'm sorry..."

"Why do you apologize?"

"I'm a failure, aren't I?" the girl asked. M

irai pressed her lips together. "I am a disappointment to our Clan. I know, Neji-nii-san knows, Father knows...Now my sister knows, too..."

"I don't think you are a failure, Hinata-sama." Mirai argued quietly.

"You might be the only one, Mirai-san..."

"I doubt it. This blond boy thinks you are worthy, too." Hinata blushed.

Mirai sighed, recognizing the face the younger heiress was making. "Is this the boy you love?" She asked.

"Wh-what? Naruto-kun? I-I…" Hinata stuttered.

Mirai smiled. "Hinata-sama, may I tell you a secret?"

"Y-yes, of course!" The girl replied quickly, shocked by the kindness that Mirai showed her. Hinata knew that Mirai should hate her, considering their family's past.

Mirai bit her thumb and pressed her fingers on the ground.

"Summoning Technique" she whispered as a the small bluish sea dragon appeared in front of the two girls.

Hinata gasped in awe; she had only heard legends of the Dragon race and she knew that they didn't made pacts with shinobi anymore. Bo, the tiny sea serpent, climbed up Mirai's kimono and examined the other girl.

"Mirai! Long time no "sea"...Get it? Get it?" The small dragon joked.

Mirai rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "I get it, Bo. Very funny."

Bo purred as she petted his sleek body. "How can I help?"

"Bo, this is Hyuuga Hinata. Her chakra vessels are damaged. Can you please heal her?"

"Nice to meet you, Hinata! I am Bo of the Distant Shores!"

"N-nice to m-meet you, Bo-san." Hinata mumbled, anxiously.

The small dragon giggled. "Just Bo for Mirai's friends!" He said as he jumped from her kimono and landed on the younger girl's chest. His entire body started glowing with chakra as he started to heal her internal wounds. Hinata thought she caught the scent of the ocean.

The two girls locked eyes and Hinata smiled at Mirai. Mirai nodded in understanding and left the room. She strolled into the hospital corridors and finally she left the building from the back door.

She wondered aimlessly around until she realized that her steps brought her in front of the Uchiha District. There were signs that wrote "Access Denied". Mirai took another step closer when she sensed someone approaching behind her.

"Can't you read?" Mirai turned around and saw him. He was still a boy but he resembled him so much…

Sasuke looked at her, surprised to find a Hyuuga there.

She raised an eyebrow. "You must be Uchiha Sasuke."

"Who are you?"

Mirai just kept staring at him.

He shook his shoulders and passed by her to enter the district.

"You look a lot like your brother." He heard her say. He instantly turned around to talk to her but the strange woman had already disappeared.

Was she even real?

**5\. **

The Chuunin Exams were interrupted by Orochimaru, a former Jonin of the Leaf Village who made a surprised attack. He managed to destroy a big part of the village and also kill the Third Hokage. His goal was no one but Uchiha Sasuke.

Mirai didn't participate in the rescue missions that took place and was immediately rushed out of the war zone, as her mother ordered.

Itachi found out about the attack against his village and brother but he couldn't intervene, since many eyes were fixed on him, although he paid a visit. He was stopped by Hatake Kakashi.

Kakashi was left in the hospital with serious wounds but he stayed alive.

During that time, two very important events occurred.

** 6\. **

**Itachi. **

He looked at the small boy in front of him. He was blond and his blue eyes were the same color that his father had. Blue like the storm. Itachi was trying hard to stall time, in order for Jiraiya to appear and protect Naruto from him and Kisame.

Kakashi was already in the hospital after their fight so he could not be trusted.

Kisame was wondering who gave the Leaf Jonin so much information about the Akatsuki but Itachi knew ;Mirai. She had been tracking Akatsuki for sometime.

"You are coming with us." He said to the young boy. Naruto stared at him in fear, recognizing his Sharingan.

'Come on...Catch up…" Itachi kept thinking when another Konoha shinobi appeared in the corridor of the Inn that Naruto was staying.

Sasuke.

Itachi felt his racing heartbeat and knew what kind of expression he would face when he looked at him.

'Remember the plan' he thought to himself as he turned and look at his younger brother glaring at him, thunders glowing into his eyes and onto his hands. Chidori, Kakashi's thunder technique.

"Die!" Sasuke screamed and came for him.

Itachi steeled his will and blocked his attack; Sasuke had no chance to defeat him into battle.

"You are in the way." He said simply as he caught his little brother's hand and crashed it in his. Sasuke screamed and Itachi threw him on the ground.

'This is wrong' the small voice in him whispered.

Naruto also attacked in order to protect Sasuke but Kisame playfully stopped his attempt.

Itachi felt an immense amount of chakra filling the room; thankfully Jiraiya had arrived to save the boys from him.

Unfortunately, Sasuke attacked again in the meantime.

Itachi did what he had to do and beat him, hard.

"You are weak. You don't have enough hatred in you." Itachi said and while he looked inside Sasuke's eyes he forced him into genjutsu. The boy screamed in agony as he was trapped inside an illusion that tormented him with images of the past and seconds later -that Itachi knew that felt like days to Sasuke- he passed out.

Itachi took a last glimpse of his beloved sibling and quickly escaped with Kisame.

They both knew that Jiraya could end them.

"You were very cruel to your own little brother, Itachi! Why didn't you just end his misery?" Kisame joked as they were fleeing.

"He doesn't worth death." Itachi said, his expression cold and his words sharp. He meant that last part. Sasuke had to survive.

**7\. **

**Mirai. **

She passed the guards of the Village's Security without any problems. The rain was heavy and it concealed her presence but she could sense chakra in many water drops.

She knew that the Rain Village used the natural phenomenon as an alarm, she just didn't know who was in charge of it.

She avoided all of the chakra infused rain drops and searched for his house.

Ichirou was there.

She felt excited for the first time in years.

Redemption was here and he would be forced to accept his fate.

She stalked the house for a few minutes, it was a simple new age apartment on the eleventh floor of a skyscraper. It appeared pretty normal.

She felt his presence in the house but she knew he would not sense her until it was too late. She drew a big breath and leaped, stepping between shorter buildings to gain height and reach the balcony of his apartment.

She made it there, invisible however she also hid behind some of the plants. She wouldn't risk to be noticed sooner than she had planned.

She saw him after twelve long years and she recognized him immediately.

His long, black hair were all messy around him as he lay on the couch of his living room. He wore no shirt and she could tell that he never stopped training; his body had the distinct form of taijutsu practitioners.

On his chest he wore the same pedant she did.

At the sight of the small token, Mirai's vision blurred and rage overtook her.

She would kill him. She would cut him into pieces and bury him in her herbal garden. She would take her family's pride into her own hands, at last!

Then the unexpected happened. A small child landed on his chest from behind the couch.

Mirai almost gasped; she was so fixated on him that she didn't notice the kid's presence.

"Daddy!" The child yelled and immediately pulled his hair, as Ichirou opened his eyes and smiled at the boy.

"You rascal, I asked you to allow me to sleep for an hour!" He scolded the boy and hugged him tight.

"But I'm bored." The boy replied.

He couldn't be more than four years old. His hair was black and short and his eyes were blue. He wasn't a Hyuuga but Mirai knew that he was Ichirou's son. His features resembled her brother's.

"I think you are trying to kill me!" He said jokingly to the child but then his eyes fell on the exact spot that Mirai was hidden. He noticed her.

"Ren, will you go to your room? Daddy wants to have a smoke." The child frowned and Mirai felt her heart break. He was so beautiful, his face was perfect.

"Fine. But the moment you finish you will come in with me, okay?" the boy demanded.

"I promise." Ichirou agreed as he stood up. The boy left in a hurry and Mirai followed him with her eyes.

Her brother put a simple white cotton shirt on his naked upper body and opened the glass door to the balcony. Mirai left her hiding place and disabled the jutsu that kept her invisible.

"Hey little sister." He said with a smile.

His hair still messed up and so long that almost reached his waist. His eyes still sharp as his features. He looked...good. Mirai felt her sense abandoning her.

"How dare you smile at me?" she hissed quietly.

"I'm happy to see you, at last. I knew you would come." He explained, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket.

His white eyes lit up reflecting the flame as he started to smoke. He looked at her and offered her one. She widened her eyes and shook her head. He was insane, acting so casual. He lifted his shoulders.

"I'm glad that you don't smoke, it's a bad habit."

"I'm here to kill you."

"I figured." She glared at his eyes that were examining her face.

"You grew up beautifully, Mirai." He said again, a warm expression on his distant gaze.

"Shut up."

"Why do you want to kill me?"

"To clean up your mess. You dishonored our family." She whispered roughly.

"Ah, I see. Noble cause." He replied and leaned on the wall.

"Are you mocking me?" She inquired furiously.

"Well, no. In the little world you live in, your cause seems reasonable. Whenever you are ready, let me know. I just wish you won't hurt Ren. He has nothing to do with this shitty Clan of ours." He explained, his expression cold again.

"I am ready." She mused.

"Oh, okay." He replied and put his smoke out. He put his hands in his pockets and looked straight at her. "Kill me then, I'm ready too."

Mirai blinked. "You aren't even going to resist?"

"That would be pointless." He said and Mirai flinched at the word.

"You just promised your son that you would go to him and you are not even going to try?"

"I will not hurt you. You are my baby sister." He explained simply.

Mirai glared at him, enraged. "That didn't stop you in the past. You left me for dead!"

She shouted, pulling a kunai out of her uniform.

"I wanted you to be safe. I'm sorry."

He whispered seriously.

"Safe? Safe?! I am seventeen years old and more than forty different assassins have been sent to kill me!" She snapped.

Why hadn't she moved already? She should end it, now.

"So you have killed more than forty assassins? Good girl!" He said with a smile.

Mirai activated her byakugan. His chakra was impressive, exceeding her own. He could probably take her.

His smile became wider. "Ah, it's been a long time since I last saw the Byakugan. Your eyes are wonderful." "

Shut up!"

"Sorry." He said, biting his lower lip.

"Do you want to have dinner with us?"

"Are you insane?"

"Just the normal amount, don't worry. I would like you to meet Ren and my wife. She should be home in a few minutes. If you insist on killing me though, I would suggest you did it now; she can be really scary. She is also a shinobi, you know."

"SHUT UP!" She yelled. Her voice although loud, didn't disrupt the deafening sound of the rain.

"Mirai. I'm sorry you felt alone. I really resisted my urge to take you with me that night. However I knew you would miss mother and father and you were to small to move around. I honestly wanted you to be safe-"

"Why did you do it? Why did you kill those officials?" she interrupted him.

"Because they were horrible human beings."

"Many people are horrible."

"I killed many of them and I keep doing that." He said calmly.

She looked at him in disbelief.

"So you threw our entire family in the gutter to play superhero?"

"You don't know what they did, Mirai." He insisted with dark eyes.

"Then tell me! Tell me what they did!"

"I can't, it's over now."

"You owe me an explanation!"

"I think my blood will erase my dept. It's what you want after all." He reminded her.

Mirai was confused. She felt her heartbeats racing and she couldn't control it. Her eyes had been stinging her since she saw him. He took a few steps and approached her. She raised her kunai between them. He moved around it and hugged her. Mirai realized she didn't hold her weapon anymore when she heard it falling on the floor.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

Mirai closed her eyes in his embrace.

**8.**

_ (Two weeks later)_

Kakashi woke up in the middle of the night, sensing he wasn't alone. The hospital room was dark but warm. There was someone sitting on the feet of his bed. She was in shinobi attire.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded, fixing his posture.

She didn't reply.

"Did you kill him?" He pressed again. Mirai looked at him.

"He has a son." She replied.

"I know."

"You didn't mention that."

"You asked me to track him, not profile him." He argued coldly.

She chuckled. "You're right."

"What are you doing here, Mirai?"

"I don't know where to go, Kakashi-san." She mused absentmindedly, looking out of the window the entire time.

Kakashi examined her body carefully to make sure it was indeed her.

"So you decided to pay a visit to me?" He mocked her. She gazed upon him.

"Something like that." She moved smoothly and sat on top of him. Kakashi was still healing from his fight with Itachi but he wasn't incapacitated. He quickly grabbed both of her arms and glared at her.

"What do you think you are doing?" He hissed at her. She had officially crossed the line.

She didn't reply but he felt her body building up chakra. A small invisible blast occurred and all of her weapons were tossed around in the room, most of them hitting the room's walls. His eyes remained on hers.

"I'm unarmed." She explained.

Kakashi looked at her, her slim arms were not resisting his grapple. She leaned closer, still sitting on his lap.

"Get out while I'm still polite." He warned her, pushing her away by her arms.

She gave him a half smile. "I know you don't like me." She explained as she took off her protective vest and mesh armor. He kept his eyes on her face but he didn't ignore the fact that she was half naked. He was taken aback by her boldness.

"Did you kill him?"

"No."

"Are you that depressed that you would sleep with me?" He asked sarcastically. The room started to feel suffocating.

"I don't want to sleep with you." She hinted as she leaned in again, this time close to his left ear.

Mirai whispered her idea of how to spend the night hours and Kakashi listened. A few seconds later she looked back at his eyes.

"That's what I want to do with you." "

And if I refuse?" He asked, halfheartedly.

"Will you?" She asked him, tilting her head. Her short hair danced around her face and her fingers ran on his torso and belly, reaching for his pants.

He sighed.

"No"


	9. Chapter 9

"No single thing is perfect by itself. That's why we're born to attract other things to make up for what we lack. I think we start walking in the right direction only after we start getting our counterparts beside us." – Itachi Uchiha

**1.**

Mirai was putting on her belt while Kakashi was pulling his turtleneck up, in order to cover his face again. He watched her dress up quickly as the break of dawn arrived.

"Let's not make a habit out of it" she suggested as she peaked at him from behind her shoulder.

He looked back at her. "I couldn't agree more".

"Was it that awful?" she chuckled.

"Aren't you supposed to be engaged?"

"I also happen not to be into children."

"Sometimes I wonder if I am" he said to himself, fixing the messed up bed sheets.

"I'm seventeen".

"You are too young".

"Not in bed".

"Smart".

She sat on the bed to tie up her shoes.

"Why do you read this trash?" she asked him randomly, pointing at the small book by his nightstand.

"You can just leave, let's not small talk." He replied idly.

"Smart" She teased him.

"When I saw your notes on Itachi, you were mostly referring on Akatsuki. Now, I know why. Good job." He said, changing the subject.

She stood up and looked at him, her expression was mildly sarcastic but her eyes were still dark and her lips, still red.

"Let's not ruin this romantic vibe with business." She mocked him.

"I still dislike you." He commented lazily.

"That's the way I like it." She said nonchalantly as she made her way to the window.

They looked at each other and they both nodded as Mirai sneaked out of the hospital room.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds and sighed. She was something else. The worst part was that Kakashi had started to figure her out. Not during sex of course, that was rough and raw, nothing more.

He had recently picked up patterns that explained her odd behavior and slowly her character became familiar. He sighed again. He didn't regret fucking with her however he would trully hate himself if they actually became friends and sadly...It appeared to be an option.

The door opened and the morning nurse came in to check up on him.

"Good morning, Kakashi-san! How are you feeling today?" She greeted him with a sweet and warm smile.

"Good morning,nurse!" He replied prettily.

How was he feeling today?

**2.**

Sasuke abandoned the Leaf Village and joined Orochimaru, thirsty for power after their encounter.

Itachi thought about this vile man and his unnatural actions and felt nauseated. Did he push his brother too much? No, he knew he didn't. There is no such thing as soft treatment, Sasuke should be prepared to do the right thing when the time arrived.

He sighed as he sat, one leg folded and the other supporting his elbow. He had to always remember who he was. Sometimes he couldn't imagine being anyone different and that fact was horrifying. How long does one wear a mask before becoming it?

He thought of her again. Had she kept his ANBU face? Did she destroy it?

He stood up quickly. He wanted to see for himself.

'One last time. I'll go to her one last time, to keep her memory.' He thought to himself.

Itachi traveled for three weeks, using his information gathering skills as an excuse for the Akatsuki. He reached the Grass Village at the beginning of summer. The land was warm and the skies were sunny. The fields were dressed in all the colors and scents. The trees had already produced some fruits, the river was lazily circling the small village. It was noon, children were gathering flowers for garlands that they placed around their necks and hair. He closed his eyes, standing under the shadow of an old maple tree and inhaled the heat, the sunshine and joy of the fields. It felt almost humid on his nostrils.

What a beautiful, generous land. Was Konoha like that? Why didn't he ever stopped to notice?

He tracked her chakra signature and placed it at the river banks, in the forest. She must have been under the willow by now. She would lay there, her kimono pulled away from her snowy shoulders, enjoying the shadow of the tree and maybe wet her feet in the cool river. She would listen to the songs of the nightingales and cicadas, so carefully that she would probably understand their conversations.

He opened his eyes, still standing at the verge of the forest.

What was he doing here? He didn't belong here. How did he assumed he could meet her? Why?

He had been pointlessly chasing around her and for what? Nothing. He could give her nothing but regret.

He chuckled under his breath. He was considered one of the most dangerous rogues out there, yet he was losing his mind over a woman that pushed him away.

'She loves me' the small voice said.

'I know she does. I love her, too.' he replied to himself. 'And in this time and era the best I can do for her is not to hurt her any longer. The best thing I can do for anyone in that matter.'

He nodded, confirming his resolution and turned around to leave, one last time.

The living belonged with the living.

**3.**

Mirai had been laying beneath the cool shadow of the willow during that lazy noon. Nature was at climax, everything around her was celebrating the arrival of summer. She found herself taken by the festive atmosphere and she tried to forget about the rainy land of Amegakure.

The last few months were surreal.

As she closed her eyes and focused on the living creatures around her, habitually sensing for danger. That's when she sensed him.

Her eyes popped open while she focused on his presence.

Itachi was here. He stood at the verge of the forest, a flowery valley dividing them.

She sat up, expecting to feel him approaching her only he didn't. He just stood there and after a while he walked into the forest.

Mirai acted on instinct and ran to him. She felt him leaving, this time never to return. She ran through the floral bushes, sending petals and pollen to random directions, the warm breeze whipping her face, messing her hair.

She entered the cool forest, protected by the sunlight beneath the heavy dark green and red branches. She felt him stop on his heels.

A few steps later, she spotted him, his feet balancing on the branch of a tall reddish maple tree.

He turned around, his sharingan coloring his black eyes.

"You weren't even able to say goodbye, you coward?" she yelled at him from beneath the tree.

She looked at him, Leaves crowning his figure. He saw her, standing proudly above the Grass. He took a small leap and landed in front of her. He didn't reply.

She wore her casual white kimono, loose around her neck and feet. With her ebony hair and snowy eyes, she appeared before him like the spirit of winter that somehow got stuck in the summer. He smiled softly, behind the high collar of his coat.

They stood there, staring at each other, a thousand words losing all meaning in their silence.

He took one step closer and put his hand on the cavity between her shoulder and neck. Her skin was cool and silky.

"I love you" he declared seriously. "I am a coward for not saying that earlier".

She looked at him, her eyes searching his words for double meanings, for lies, for schemes. She found none and the weight of this realization crushed her lungs.

"If this is your way to say goodbye, I won't accept it" she argued weakly.

He shook his head. "I will not say goodbye".

"What are you saying then? I don't understand!" she snapped, feeling trapped in her own body, beneath his mortal gaze.

'Is this what death feels like?' she wondered silently.

"I love you" He repeated. His hand moved to cup her face.

Her eyes drifted above him and roamed around the crimson canopy.

"There is nothing I can give you" she reasoned with him. With herself.

He leaned close to her face and placed a kiss on her lips. She looked at him.

"There is nothing I can give you" he agreed, repeating her words. "However nothing is better than not even that".

"You despair me" she whispered, her usually calm expression cracking under the weight of his gaze.

"No single thing is perfect by itself. That's why we're born to attract other things to make up for what we lack. I think we start walking in the right direction only after we start getting our counterparts beside us."

Mirai stared at him. "I-"

"Don't." He interrupted her, placing his index finger on her mouth. "Dance with me again, in the future".

"Are you flirting or starting a fight?" she teased him, halfheartedly.

He blinked slowly and his sharingan faded. She threw an arm around his neck and forced him to bend down in order for her to kiss him.

He held her face with one hand and pulled her closer with the other.

Soon later, she jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist, her loose kimono revealing her thighs. He undid his coat as he walked and pushed her back on the rough bark of the maple tree.

Their breathing gradually became irregular and husky. She helped him rearrange his pants and underwear, enough for him to be able to move freely inside her. He lowered her kimono, fully exposing her chest as she ran her fingers hastily through his long hair, undoing his ponytail.

They surged each other, both of them desperate to completely merge their bodies and hearts.

Their union was and would always be violent and edgy, deeper than tolerable. He forced her so hard against the tree that her back hurt and she pressed his ribs and lips so much they ached. He never spoke a word, all of his expressions were quiet and they never broke eye contact. Twice or more, she left some gasps and moans but she was otherwise silent,too; his eyes were speaking and she didn't want to miss one word.

They parted abruptly and he pressed one hand on the bark. She slowly slipped downwards, fixing her attire. He did the same after a few panting seconds.

He made up his hair as she removed one small twig from his coat. He looked at her mystified.

"I'm not mad" she joked with flat expression. His eyes laughed but his lips were a straight line.

"Good" he replied simply.

"You must go, I suppose" she commented, sarcastically. She was tempted to knock him unconscious and drag him back to her room. She wanted him again.

"I shouldn't even be here" He replied.

She nodded. "Itachi, I...I will dance with you" she managed to say.

He gave her a distant smile that she could trace all the sweetness hidden behind it.

"Good" he nodded. "Until we meet again" he greeted her, raising his index and middle finger before his chin. His presence started to fade before her eyes but his gaze was fixed on her.

Once he vanished she leaned back, feeling the marks on her back sting.

"Until we meet again..." she sighed.

**4.**

(Three years later)

Sasuke was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling of his room. The proper word was "cell" but a prison loses its meaning when one can move freely out of it. Sasuke had entered this cell willingly, in pursue of power. He needed to grow faster. He spent all of his days training and experimenting with Orochimaru and Kabuto. He spent all of his afternoons training alone and gathering useful information about Orochimaru. He spent all of his nights, staring at the ceiling of his room, forcing all the poison of his life down his throat and fueling his hatred.

Sasuke didn't get much sleep. His dreams disobeyed his will, sometimes they were happy and carefree. He didn't want to feel like this even when he was unconcious.

His door opened and Kabuto, a young man with long white hair and glasses threw a fake smile at him.

"Sasuke-kun, your services are needed" he said in a sugary voice.

"Why"

"You'll see. Orochimaru-sama asked specifically for you. Go at the north ward. You'll know what to do." he ordered with a grin as he left him alone.

"Fuck that..." Sasuke said when the older man left.

He consistently wore dark blue pants, over which hanged a blue cloth that covered him from his stomach to his knees, which he secured with a dark purple rope belt; as was common to Orochimaru and his followers. He complemented this with a white long-sleeved shirt kept fully open at the torso and black arm guards that covered his forearms. He picked up his sword and placed it on his belt as he exited the cell.

Sasuke was now fifteen years old but had the arrogance of a veteran; and not unfairly. He walked at the northern ward that was -like all of Orochimaru's hide out- underground and had no windows. He found one of the cells was locked. There was a white marking on the door. That meant that Orochimaru wished the person inside it, dead.

Sasuke unlocked the door and came in to find a woman around her twenties. She had long chestnut hair and the Hyuuga curse mark scorched on her forehead. Her eye sockets were empty. The woman was in horrible shape but she rapidly moved in order to defend herself.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she demanded.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke and I am sent to kill you" he replied coldly as he unscathed his blade.

The woman froze. "It's you! You traitor!" she spat at his face.

Sasuke lifted his hand and wiped the spit from his cheek with a malicious grin. "For a blind woman you sure have good aim" He mocked her as he swiftly drove his blade through her heart. The woman gasped and coughed blood.

He retrieved his sword from her body that fell on the floor with a loud thud.

"You...you are worst than your brother...At least he killed all of you before he left!" She laughed at him.

"Shut your hole, woman"

"She is going to get you and him...Your end is near!" She whispered, coughing some more.

"Itachi? Who's getting him?" he demanded, turning around and picking her up from the collar of her dress.

"Future..." She mumbled.

"Future? What are you saying? Speak clearly!" He ordered, shaking her body.

She had died.

He dropped her lifeless body on the ground and stared at it for sometime, his eyes reflecting the darkness of his thoughts.


	10. Chapter 10

_**AN: I am gradually getting to the point you guys! Thank you for staying with me through this story . I feel that my favorite parts begin now, so I hope you enjoy them! Keep your kunai sharp and your minds sharper! **_

"Bonds I"

1.

The lifeless body of the man fell in front of Itachi as he passed by it. The battlefield around him had turned to a bloodshed scenery. Each of his opponents were dead and he hadn't even suffered a scratch.

"You are selfish, Itachi. You could have waited for me, you spoiled all the fun" Kisame claimed as he entered the valley. Itachi didn't even looked at him and kept on walking.

"You tend to take your time, I wanted to finish this fast" He explained, expressionless.

"There is nothing wrong with taking your time in a battle" Kisame mused.

Itachi didn't rerply as they moved forward. One single raven landed on his shoulder, communicating the confirmation that no one had survived. Itachi nodded and the raven flew away to scout.

2.

"Again" Mirai instructed.

Neji frowned at her. "Are you trying to humiliate me, Mirai-sama?"

"On the contrary" she replied "I am giving you a chance to defeat me".

"Tch".

"Now, now, Neji. Don't be a pessimist! Luck could be on your side" she teased him.

"Even luck would lose to you" he mumbled, pouting.

"Are you trying to sweet-talk me into losing?"

"Does it work?"

She pretended to think about it. He attempted another full attack at her, failing entirely.

"No." She winked at him. He held back a smile. "So, the wedding is tomorrow."

"I remember" He frowned again.

"Are you ready?" She asked him softly.

"Are you?" He demanded however she only gave him a wicked smile.

Their sparring continued for another hour and he was content that at least she had also broken some sweat by the end of it. She was the most brilliant Hyuuga instructor he had ever the honor to train with. Neji looked at the older woman carefully as she threw some fresh water on the back of her neck.

She caught him staring and shook her head in wonder.

He just nodded and left.

He went into his room to prepare for their afternoon tea. He didn't know with what kind of means he could be Mirai's husband. He owed her too much by this point, to many things that one cannot return.

The Chuunin Exams was a trial for everyone in the village but it meant even more to Neji. He had gotten the apology he always wanted by Hiashi-dono as well as his vote of trust. Neji and Hinata-sama, his younger cousin, had grown closer. The boy found out that she was more than eager to learn from him and also be an honest friend. His family started to exist and for the first time in his life, Neji tasted the sweetness and the bitterness that accompany freedom. His sense of duty became sharper than a blade and he would cut anyone with it. He suddenly started to care about his Clan; it was now his family after all.

Hinata-sama didn't accept his apology even when he tried. She just smiled and let him know that she was happy that they were friends now. Naruto was now one of Neji's closest friends and role models; a man that only spoke his heart, a man that could speak everyone's heart... and Neji knew that moment, that Naruto would become the Hokage one day. Neji would see to that. His words were always with him:

"Why do you try so hard to change your destiny?" Neji had asked him.

"Because people called me a failure! I'll prove them wrong!" Naruto had replied firmly.

That was his way of the Ninja, as he always said. Neji smiled and shook his head.

After the Chuunin Exams, Mirai had allowed him to stay at Konoha. At first he thought she didn't want an additional burden however he soon came to realise that she did it to support his career as a shinobi. Whenever they had a chance to meet she would spent the days training with him and even teaching him precious Hyuuga techniques that only the elders were familiar with. Apart from that, she would have tea with him and talk to him about arts and history. She never wavered at his lack of interest or attachment but she would set one rule for every meeting; he had to remove the bandages that covered his Curse Mark.

Neji found himself suddenly surrounded by friends and family. His life had meaning and many faces. He felt loved and needed, he felt capable of protecting his values. Therefor, it was easy for him to understand two things about Mirai.

One: She had loved ones.

Two: Whoever truly loved her, wasn't of this world.

3.

Mirai poured some sake into his cup. He looked at her suspiciously.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" he inquired.

"You are a man now, Neji, you can drink." She informed him, unfazed. She noticed his small blush and held back a giggle. Her future husband was adorable. "As of tomorrow, you and I will be married. There is no harm in spending time together, like this."

"I see." He mused, tasting the alcohol.

"I've done everything in my power to let you return to Konoha as soon as possible but I'm afraid you will have to spend a week here with me."

"A week?" He gasped.

"What's wrong?" she wondered.

"I have to return sooner, Mirai-sama" He explained.

"You spoiled brat..." she laughed at her drink. She wore her thin silky robe and she sat in seiza in front of him, as usually.

"You don't understand; One of our Clan's member has gone missing." He insisted.

"Why do I only hear about this now? Who?" She demanded immediately.

"Hyuuga Kazue. She has been declared missing since passed week. Time is against her already."

"Missing? Where was she?" She continued. Mirai was pissed off.

"She was in a three man squad search group. She investigated Orochimaru's whereabouts." Neji replied.

Mirai's eyes became edgy. "That trash got to her?"

"She is a branch member."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she snapped at him.

"Nothing but the fact that our Clan's secrets are safe." He explained softly. "I want to find her, preferably alive. She is a good ninja and a great person. She has a baby son, too. I must leave before the end of the week, Mirai-sama." He pleaded with her.

Mirai sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

Neji bowed to her and she smacked his knee. He glared at her, confused.

"I told you to be less formal with me" she scolded him.

"Yes, madam".

She glared back at him and then they both smiled to each other.

4.

Sasuke woke up in less than twenty minutes of sleep because of a mosquito. He was exhausted and annoyed so he decided to take a walk inside the hideout. He could use some training.

As he exited his cell he saw Kabuto walking towards him.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun! Right on time. Orochimaru-sama expects you to bid farewell to another of our guests, if you aren't busy of course. You are going to enjoy this one!" The fair man explained.

Sasuke nodded and changed route. For Orochimaru to hint that he would enjoy this guest, he must had been someone powerful. Sasuke didn't like to kill people that were less in power, that was plain murder and nothing useful came out of it. As he passed by Kabuto, the older man grabbed his elbow. Sasuke glared at him.

"What?"

"Sasuke-kun… Take your time with this one. It's going to be a while until you have someone this precious in your grasp again!" Kabuto whispered maliciously.

Sasuke pulled his elbow away and ignored him. Once he managed to kill Orochimaru, this pest would be next. He would just be patient for a little more and when Orochimaru had no more power to give him, Sasuke would end his miserable existence.

The door was marked with white paint and Sasuke found this one locked. He turned the key and entered the room, his senses prepared for a sudden attack, yet he wasn't prepared to see someone he knew in this room.

In front of him was a kneeling, wounded Sakura. Her hair had blood on it and her green eyes shone under the small flame of the candles. Sasuke froze in his place but his face showed no emotion.

It had been years since he last saw her. She was different yet she had the same soft touch against his will.

Sakura's first reaction was shock but then she glared at him.

"Sasuke-kun!" She hissed. She tried to get off her knees but her body failed her.

"Sakura." He said simply. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? Kill her? He felt his stomach turn and he was immediately enraged. So what? She meant nothing, she was nothing. He would do her a favor if he ended her weak life sooner than later. He stared at her from above. The girl crawled back until her back hit the wall and managed to stand up from that point. He noticed her fair skin being bruised and cut. She was in bad shape but her eyes… He thought it was the candles that made them shine this bright in the dark, however, her eyes had flames of their own.

"Come back to us, Sasuke-kun. We have been looking for you, for so long-"

"Shut up". He interrupted her. He remembered now, why he hated Sakura so much. She was always the weakest in their group, the burden. However there was something about the way she spoke, something about her gaze that always made him waver, always calmed him. She could make him feel safe and that safety was a lie! The world wasn't a peaceful place and the moment he made the mistake of thinking he could be safe, someone would cut his throat. He would never, ever allow her to make him weak.

Sakura went silent just as he ordered. She just kept looking at him. Her eyes had that perfect tone of clear sea waters sometime during twilight; green, intense and dark.

"I knew you were going to die sooner than everyone else, being the weakling that you are." Sasuke claimed calmly. She looked at him and smiled.

"You are right. I am weak… Therefor I was always behind you, behind Naruto. Being hurt and being protected despite my own will. I am weak, therefor I have nothing to lose now. At least I am in front of you and not behind you anymore, Sasuke-kun!" She yelled at him and he felt her chakra building up.

She was going to attack him. Sasuke felt the familiar haze of anger taking over him and he let himself be consumed. If he was to kill Sakura he couldn't do it if she didn't at least fight back. He couldn't do it in cold blood.

He drew his sword and charged towards her. He got a glimpse of her teary eyes, staring at him with confidence and he felt his stomach turn again.

'This is wrong' a small voice protested inside him.

The moment the edge of his sword would meet with the surface of her pale white skin, the girl disappeared. His blade pierced the stone wall.

He turned around rapidly looking for her in the room.

She was standing behind him, smiling.

'How did she do that?' Sasuke wondered.

"You can't kill hope, Sasuke-kun" she whispered as her figure started to fade.

Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes and that only meant one thing.

"Genjutsu Release!" He called as he woke up, sweating.

"Shit" he exhaled. His Sharingan was activated. Someone reached him in there. Someone outdid his eyes in illusion. Was it Itachi? Sasuke doubted that his older brother would show him something like this.

He got out of his bed, this time for real, and grabbed his sword. He rushed towards Orochimaru's lab. As he entered the man with the long, sleek, black hair and the snake eyes locked his gaze on him.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun. What a pleasant surprise." Orochimaru greeted him. He was dressed in medical gown and gloves and he had his hands inside the body of a young shinobi, reaching for what Sasuke thought that was his liver. The organ had seals on it. The younger man shook his head and focused back on his teacher.

"Someone attempted an attack on me" Sasuke claimed without delay.

"Who would dare!" Orochimaru wondered sarcastically with a wicked smile.

"It was genjutsu and it was created from a distance" he replied, ignoring the gore view he had at the time. 'The mosquito', Sasuke thought, 'that was the cue'.

"Oh. What did you see?" the man inquired calmly.

Sasuke licked his lips, thinking if he should tell him or not. Since Sakura meant nothing, he didn't want Orochimaru to believe otherwise. It would be a nuisance.

"A woman. Someone from Konoha" He replied carefully.

"Someone you love?" Orochimaru insisted, his voice sweetening.

"Don't be ridiculous" Sasuke protested.

"Of course not, Sasuke-kun. However, if that was the case, I would know exactly who did this to you..." The snake-like man mused happily, pulling the stomach out of the body, as well.

"Who?" Sasuke asked, this time his voice revealed his bad temper.

"The woman who is known by the nickname 'Nightmare'... The kunoichi with a genjutsu so powerful and unique that is feared among the nations. The one that brings loved ones before your eyes to slay you..." Orochimaru said, peering deep into Sasuke's eyes. "Hyuuga Mirai".

"Mirai..." Sasuke repeated, remembering the Hyuuga girl he killed. He thought she said "future" when she said the name, Mirai. A woman that the Hyuuga Clan believed she could defeat Itachi himself.

Unexpectedly, the image of a young woman with short ebony hair and alabaster skin popped into his mind, a woman that was standing on front of the Uchiha district three years ago.

'You must be Uchiha Sasuke. You look a lot like your brother.' Her words echoes from the past.

"Where will I find her?" Sasuke asked as he stared at Orochimaru.

The man's smile became wider and with this, more vile.

"Let's search together. I would love to put my hands on her." He proposed happily.

Sasuke nodded.

5.

At the same time that Sasuke woke up in his cell, Mirai woke up in her room. She had used quite an amount of chakra to reach this far from home into Sasuke's dream.

Mirai smiled at herself having now proof that no matter what happened to Sasuke he was an original Uchiha as he possessed the one thing that no member of his Clan could ever deny; the weakness of having someone they loved.

"Sakura…" Mirai mused to herself "My favorite tree".

She stood up smoothly and made her bed. She was getting married today but tomorrow she was going to battle.

6.

(Two years ago, Grass Village)

Hyuuga Shizuka was enjoying her afternoon tea when she was visited by the ANBU leader of her daughter's bodyguard team.

"Madam" he greeted her, wearing typical military clothes and a mask that portrayed an owl.

"What is it?" she inquired, looking at him. Mirai wasn't the one to speak through messengers to her.

"Mirai-sama is missing" He reported hastily.

"What did you say?" She hissed, her eyes scanning his very soul. "How did this happen?"

"She engaged a battle while we were traveling at the Sound Village and she didn't return. She insisted to go there alone. We had no choice. Me and my team are searching the area but we have had no sign of her in two weeks. We didn't recover remains either. I am here to ask permission to have more ANBU work on her disappearance." The man explained quickly, fearing for his life.

Shizuka stared at him. Mirai would never be captured alive, Shizuka knew that much. "I see. I will ask permission from the Elders."

The man bowed and left in relief.

Shizuka looked at the surface of the green tea inside her cup. Mirai had been hiding many things since the age she could speak but her mother could usually guess what she had in mind. Lately, that wasn't the case. Shizuka smiled at herself. Her daughter had already surpassed her. She wouldn't worry of her fate. Mirai was the elite of her Clan. This disappearance was one of her schemes for sure.

Hyuuga Shizuka returned to her read.

7.

( Two years ago, Rain Village)

Ichirou was sitting on the couch as his kid slept on his lap. The rain was heavy but that's the way it worked around here. His wife was late again. He always knew that marrying a ninja was a hustle, being one himself. His son yawned as he slowly woke up.

"Daddy?"

"I'm here, buddy"

"I'm hungry" Ren complained.

"You are always sleepy and hungry, whatever am I supposed to do with you?" Ichirou scolded him sweetly.

"You are supposed to feed me" Ren replied seriously. Ichirou laughed and messed his son's hair as he got up to make him dinner, pushing him off his lap.

"Uhm, dad?"

"I literally just got up, food isn't ready!" Ichirou moaned but then he saw his son's shocked expression and became alert.

"There is a woman on our balcony" the boy explained, showing his father the window.

"Go to your room" He said as he swiftly placed himself between his son and the stranger. Seconds later, the woman pulled the ANBU mask away from her face and revealed the features of his sister.

"Ren, room, now" He continued as he rushed to meet her.

"But I'm still hungry..." The boy whined as he followed his father's order.

Ichirou opened the sliding glass door and looked at his little sister. She was in a bad shape.

"Mirai? Are you hurt?" He asked, reaching to her aid but she stopped him with a gesture.

"I'm a little bruised from battle. Can I come in?" she asked politely.

"Of course! Come in, come in" He assured her.

As soon as she walked in, Mirai turned to him. Her eyes were cautious.

"Ichirou. I know we haven't exactly reconciled but I need a favor."

"When you say that we haven't made up yet, you mean you haven't forgiven me" he corrected her.

She nodded.

"If I do this favor, can I achieve redemption, little sister?" He asked her, teasing her serious expression.

The girl nodded again. Ichirou was already anxious. For Mirai to come to him something really bad must had occur.

"What is it? Don't want to sit?" he proposed, searching for signs of her trouble on her pale face.

"I'm pregnant" She announced strictly. "Sixteen weeks".

Ichirou stared at her, blankly.

"I can't have this child at home. Can I stay with you until I give birth?" she continued, explaining the situation. Ichirou blinked twice and calmed himself down.

"You had sex?" He asked her numbly.

"Are you retarded?" She countered angrily.

"Sorry, I just… I just didn't think you were old enough" He mumbled.

"Well, think again. So what do you say?" She insisted.

"I say… For starters you can't stay wet, you are harming your body and now a baby grows in it. You can't be selfish when you are a mom. Secondly, no weapons near the belly. Then, you have to eat frequently and also I think I can make a few changes in the guest room. It's small but it will do for now. Would you like a foot massage?" He inquired looking at her.

She sighed. "I just need a place to sleep" She explained. She felt her throat aching with sentiment but she pushed it away. Stupid hormones. "Thank you".

"No problem. Why can't you go home though? I bet mother would be thrilled to have yet another heir." He asked as he walked towards the kitchen, making calculations in his head.

"I am not sure I can bring the baby home yet." She replied firmly.

"Why not?" He wondered, looking at her big eyes.

"I am not sure if I will give birth to a Hyuuga" She mused, taking off her vest. He noticed the small bump on her belly.

"Oh. Then you have a boyfriend who's not one of us, big deal. Chances are that you will deliver a Hyuuga anyway." Ichirou pressed her. He knew that there was more to this story, he wanted to comprehend the full length of it.

"Let me rephrase. I am not sure whether my child will be a Hyuuga or an Uchiha."

"Oh." Ichirou gasped staring at her.

"Yes. Oh." She agreed staring back at him.


	11. Chapter 11

_**AN: Hello everyone! I hope you are doing fine and for those of you that live in countries that are battling the Covid-19, I hope you are safe. Please remember to be responsible for yourselves and the ones you hold dear :) Stay at home and read like I know you are doing right now ;) Fighting! **_

_"The earth laughs in flowers."_

_― Ralph Waldo Emerson_

1.

(Present day)

The sun was setting behind the low cliffs of the small village near the Stone region. Itachi paused to take the beautiful image in, noticing the anarchy of colors that painted the sky red and the land orange. There was a fine line between them that was almost crimson and a few patches of vibrant pink. The atmosphere was dry and he hadn't felt the touch of the breeze in days. It was a beautiful scenery.

He thought of Mirai. She should be completing her wedding ceremony by now. She must have been wearing something white and silky as she always did, however, this time it would be a ceremonial gown, meant to be taken off by another man, her husband.

Her white, pearly eyes would look even more magical had she been sitting here with him, enjoying the sunset. All the colors of the sky would be dancing in her eyes. Maybe she would turn to look at him instead of the sun and maybe she would be happy.

He allowed himself to imagine himself undressing her from all this silk briefly and then closed his eyes to take in the warm feeling on his chest. She had been steadily moving away from his reach yet somehow kept his heart in her elegant fingertips. Itachi knew that he kept her own heart, too.

A raven landed on his shoulder silently, peering into his left eye. He turned his head slightly and caressed the sleek plumage of the bird, still lost in his thoughts and disappointments.

A marriage. The start of a new family. Mirai had created a future he would always choose to have himself.

A funeral. The end of an old family. Itachi had created a past that denied him any future at all.

His mind drifted and met the memory of his little brother. He was Itachi's only light, no matter the darkness he had embraced. Sasuke was his past, his present and his future. Itachi believed in him. He believed in the people around him as well. Naruto and Sakura would never leave him alone… Unless they couldn't survive him.

Itachi had made sure that his baby brother would be brimming with darkness by now. Hate. What he didn't tell him -on purpose- was that there is no way that he could defeat him, a shinobi with a heart filled with love. His little brother would realize it at some point. Being an Uchiha, Itachi knew that Sasuke would resist and become stubborn but there are a few things that cannot be hidden.

One of them is the Sun. Another, is the Truth.

2.

Mirai peeled off the layered kimono inside her private changing room. She could listen to Neji doing the same inside his own wardrobe. The young man was anxious, she could tell and she found it rather amusing.

Neji had grown into a beautiful young man. His body was the perfect model of a taijutsu master, his face was clear and bright. His long, heavy hair had this velvety texture that made it shine with every movement. Neji had found happiness the last few years and this state of mind really brought out his eyes. He always smelled like pine and soap and she found him an excellent man of their Clan.

Unfortunately, he wasn't him. Mirai agreed to marry him to secure her position in her Clan. As of this day she was officially the Head of The Hyuuga Clan of the Grass and the relationship with Konoha's Hyuuga was achieved. Neji had grown to be loyal to her and even her people as if they were his own family.

She stood in front of the ornamented mirror completely naked and her eyes ran lazily on her figure. Anyone could see the scars on her skin and flesh but the real damage was deeper than that. Not even the eyes of the Hyuuga could see the truth.

Mirai heard Neji's footsteps in the bedchamber. She sighed and wrapped a simple robe around her as she walked out of her dressing room.

His eyes immediately popped at her direction. He was also simply dressed and Mirai could almost sense his nervousness. His hair was neatly arranged around his face and his curse mark wasn't covered.

"Mirai-sama" he greeted her formally and she held back a chuckle.

"I'll pour you a drink" she responded, passing by him.

"I don't think that's the best idea..." he commented quietly.

"Trust me, it is" she reassured him as she returned with a tray that had a small vessel filled with heavy liquor and two small cups.

She sat by his side and offered him one of the cups. He took it timidly and waited for her to drink first, out of courtesy. Once she did he had a full gulp that probably burned his throat. Mirai smiled secretly at his lack of grace.

"What did you do about the case?" He asked her.

"You mean the missing woman from the Konoha House? I will let you know tomorrow. It's our wedding night after all. We shouldn't be talking business" she replied, giving him a controversial gaze.

"Wh-what should we be talking about?" he murmured, obviously nervous again.

"We shouldn't be talking, period" she explained, moving a little closer to him. He stared at her, almost in horror. Mirai struggled not to lose her composure. He was adorably stressed.

"Why not?" He dared to ask.

"Well, Neji, why don't we take that question to bed with us?" she hinted, her eyes pointing at him and then at the futon behind them.

Neji turned red and his eyes were almost teary. Mirai had it at this point; she burst into laughter. He frowned at her, pressing his lips in disapproval.

"Mirai-sama, you are teasing me" he blamed her.

"You should have seen your face!" she said through howls.

"Tch" He scoffed.

"Now, now, let's get you to bed first. We have training tomorrow morning and I'm not going easy on you because you are mine." She warned him and pushed him towards the bed.

"How about you?" he demanded to know.

"I have to write a few reports, seems like Mother left a big pile of paperwork as a gift for our union" she lied confidently. He nodded.

"Don't you need my assistance then?"

"No, I want you to rest because you'll be extra busy from now on" .

He nodded again. "Certainly. I'm going first then."

"Good boy." She teased him and held back another giggle, seeing his serious expression.

Mirai left the bedchamber unnoticed and entered her private office where her shinobi outfit and tools were. Among them lied a single ANBU mask. She sighed again.

"What else am I going to go through for you?" she whispered, running her fingertips on the item.

She prepared for battle and locked the rest of her equipment before she left the room.

3.

Orochimaru watched the Grass Village from afar. He hadn't really appreciated its worth on shinobi since none of the original Grass families possessed any particular features but now things were different. They had an exceptional heiress, a young Hyuuga named Mirai that had achieved to be feared and respected even among the elders in the main house back in Konoha. Interesting facts about this kunoichi were that she possessed an excellent pair of eyes and that there was an underground rumor that she was the lover of a particular rogue shinobi, Uchiha Itachi.

Orochimaru wondered about this actively, since acquiring such an asset would definitely come handy and would absolutely please his collector's thirst. Sasuke had conveniently found out about it without a lot of effort and wanted her, too. It was an amazing opportunity to harvest her and study her… in depth.

Sasuke was standing a few feet lower than him, on the verge of the cliff. His black, beautiful eyes were trying to spot her in advance. Orochimaru thought that was very cute. She was supposed to be a genius and he hoped her performance would thrill them both. He would like to see Sasuke losing his coolness for just a little bit; he was always so indifferent towards death.

"Welcome to Kusagakure" they heard a melodic, soft voice behind them. Sasuke moved rapidly and placed himself by his master's side while he turned casually to meet with her gaze.

Hyuuga Mirai stood proudly on the verge of the forest behind them, wearing shinobi attire and the grass village's headband wrapped around her thigh. Her Byakugan was activated. Orochimaru felt a shiver down his spine, a reaction he rarely had these days and times. It was indicating that she had something he wanted bad and now he would be fixed on her like he did with so many shinobi in the past. First of all, he wanted this matured set of byakugan and then whatever secret her small body would offer him. He looked at her exposed abdomen and pictured his scalpel digging into her flesh, revealing information she didn't even know she was carrying.

Orochimaru exhaled in ecstasy, trying to restrain his enthusiasm.

"Don't interfere" Sasuke told him strictly, "She is mine".

Orochimaru chuckled at his confidence. Sasuke-kun was and would always be his favorite.

"Do as you will, I will just keep you safe, Sasuke-kun." He agreed prettily as he took a few steps back.

"I have no interest in you" Hyuuga Mirai claimed, her expression underlining her words.

"I never asked" Sasuke replied firmly. Orochimaru knew that Sasuke would only be tempted to face someone if he thought he or she would be a stronger opponent. She had already proved her quality by not even blinking at his direction. Her eyes were still fixed on Orochimaru.

"Don't make me look at you, Uchiha Sasuke. Our eyes shouldn't meet for reasons you are too small to comprehend. Move aside and I won't harm you." She warned him steadily.

Orochimaru knew that whatever Sasuke said, it would be unimportant to her. Shinobi of her kind would only speak once out of manners and then they would force their opponents under their will. He shivered again. So young, so beautiful, so alive. So strong, yet no stronger than himself. He wanted to force his power on her, give her a taste of her own poison and then strip her off anything that made her special and have it for himself.

He passed his snake-like tongue above his lips as a self-soother; he had to be more patient.

"Where is Uchiha Itachi?" Sasuke asked her, his chakra already building up. He was infuriated by her lack of interest.

She sighed and her eyes locked on his. Sasuke studied her face, confirming that this was the woman he had met in front of his house, three years ago. He felt that she was powerful. She stood perfectly still, showing not even the slightest sign of stress.

"Move" she warned him again, now staring deep into his eyes while her murderous and wild aura was released towards him. Orochimaru felt and saw Sasuke shivering. She had terrified him and horror always inspired the most colorful reactions out of his beautiful boy.

Sasuke moved forward and made the seals to create the powerful flames of his clan, attacking her directly. Orochimaru got a glimpse of her mocking smile as she then revolved around herself in order to deflect the fire. Sasuke left her no space to move away as he landed behind her, drawing his sword and aiming in to her stomach. The edge of his blade was stopped by an invisible chakra wall she had placed there while they spoke.

His eyes were a bright red with the distinct marking of the Sharingan.

Hyuuga Mirai turned smoothly and looked directly into these pair of eyes.

"Your flames will never touch me, Uchiha Sasuke. Your gaze is softer than your blade and your blade is dulled. How do you think you can face me?" she whispered cockily as the night breeze strolled between them.

"Where is Uchiha Itachi?" He insisted loudly, ignoring her terrorizing eyes.

She smiled, a scary expression under the shade of her cold glare and pointed her finger towards his chest.

"Let's find out together..." she mused with her chilling voice.

Before he had anytime to react, Sasuke was trapped into genjutsu again.

4.

Ichirou woke up in the middle of the night, certain that he was being watched. His wife, Lihua, was drooling on his forearm that was placed behind her neck. He then spotted his stalker, standing idly on the door of his bedroom.

"Ryo? Why are you out of bed?" He asked the small boy.

"I saw a bad dream" The boy replied quietly.

Ichirou sighed and smoothly crawled out of bed, careful not to wake his woman. She had a huge respect for her sleeping hours and he had a huge respect for her temper. He put on a plain white shirt and picked up his nephew while closing the bedroom door behind him.

"What kind of dream was that?" Ichirou asked, heading to the kitchen while he turned on the lights. A warm cup of milk always did the trick.

"I saw mommy in a field of red spider lilies" Ryo replied softly.

Ichirou placed the toddler on the kitchen counter and started to boil some milk while watching him. Ryo looked nothing like his mother but he was the spitting image of his father. His hair was sleek and jet black, his complexion was fair and pale and his eyes were the most distinctive onyx black he had ever met since Uchiha Itachi. Even his facial features were those of his father, with the big but sharp eyes with heavy lashes, his edgy cheekbones and lips. A blind person would recognize his lineage.

"Why did that scare you?" Ichirou insisted, already aware of the answer.

"Mommy says that red spider lilies grow in battlefields and graves. Mommy says, that they steal their color off the blood of the dead so they can never been forgotten. I will not forget mommy but I don't want red spider lilies to grow out of her head!" The child whimpered in agony.

"Hey, hey… Ryo, look at me baby" Ichirou said, grabbing the boy from his shoulders. Ryo looked at him, his black eyes filled with tears. "Mommy is going to be just fine. She is truly strong!" He reasoned with him. Of course Mirai had taught her son everything about flowers and symbolism already. Ichirou doubted her methods, however it was a useful knowledge. Why would she be so graphic though? Blood of the dead?

"Do you promise?" Ryo insisted, peering into his uncle's eyes.

"I promise." Ichirou lied with a smile on his face and the boy relaxed a little. "Now, have some milk and go back to bed. You have a good four hours of sleep left before your studies."

Ryo nodded and took the cup that Ichirou gave him obediently.

The older man watched the kid drinking the warm milk and wondered if his sister was safe. She should be enjoying her wedding night right now. Why would she be in danger? Ichirou knew a lot of disturbing things about politics to have many wrong answers for his inner question but Mirai's wedding was a safe move. Everyone would be satisfied, having planted a Konoha's Hyuuga by her side, in her house. Why would anyone sabotage it?

He examined the face of his nephew and asked himself if Uchiha Itachi would be the one to step in and put her in danger but he also doubted that. Of course, his little sister had managed to make a handful of enemies on her own accord, he knew that already. Was it possible? Did her enemies decide to make a hit on her now before Kusagakure's truce with Konoha was firmly bonded by Mirai's and Neji's union? Yes, that was possible.

Ryo gave him back his empty cup and Ichirou giggled at his nephew's face. The boy frowned at him.

"What?" He demanded.

"You have a nice mustache going on there!" The man said between his giggles as he wiped the stain of the boy's face with the bottom of his shirt.

Ryo gave him a shy smile.

"Go back to bed now, okay? And be quiet, don't wake up Ren." He warned him. Ren was a lot like his mother.

"Ren never wakes up when I move in the room. Mommy made me exercise on that." The boy explained, nodding to his own thoughts.

"Your mommy is creepy." Ichirou commented, thinking that his sister wasn't losing anytime in training her offspring to become dangerous.

Ryo nodded again, this time in agreement and silently crawled back to his bedroom that he shared with his cousin. He was indeed getting better at it, Ichirou thought.

The man tidied up the kitchen and turned off the lights but he didn't go back to bed immediately. It was almost 4 am in the morning and the rain was heavy so he took this opportunity to have a smoke. He lit one cigarette on the balcony and for the time that he smoked he thought of nothing and no one. He then returned to bed and watched his wife sleep for a few seconds before he drifted back to sleep.

Mirai would be fine. She had to.

5.

Kakashi was traveling towards Kusagakure to meet with the Kage of the Village. He had a personal report from Konoha he had to deliver himself and it was a good chance to give Mirai her wedding present. He bought her a copy of his favorite book series that he knew she despised.

He chuckled under his breath, imagining her reaction. She would probably toss it to his head and it would probably hurt unnecessarily harder than usual.

He and Mirai had grown to be friends the last two years much to the dismay of both of them. He had lately come to realize what the Third was talking about when he said he had hopes for her and he couldn't keep a grudge. Under a good amount of negative features, his friend was a good person. She cared about silly things like flowers and stars , she had a soft spot for children and art. Sure, she was a know-it-all, aggressive and proud lethal kunoichi but she had good aspects about her.

He remembered one of the missions their villages had placed them together in; Mirai was a skilled scout and she had perfect training against ANBU teams. She was a precious partner for information gathering. Kakashi was very disapproving at first, having shed bad blood between them already, however having her as an ally never disappointed him. Twice she had come back for him during their mission and once she even risked herself to protect him. He obviously would have done the same but he never expected her loyalty to the team she was serving to be so adamant. His appreciation for this feature of her had overclouded his negativity against her. Slowly they begun talking about random topics and once she felt even more comfortable she would tease him about anything. That playful side of her hit a soft spot in him; she acted like a very serious, very grown up kid. Their friendship was an inevitable outcome.

The night sky was starry and he bet that if she wasn't deflowering her innocent new husband right now, she would be enjoying sake at her veranda, watching the stars. He sighed lazily, pondering if he should visit her right after the report in order to share some sake with her as well. It was a beautiful night for drinking.

It was then that a thunder-like roar ripped the silence violently, upsetting every critter in the forest near the Grass Village.

A Dragon had been summoned.


	12. Chapter 12

_**"We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for a moment that we're not alone."**_ _** Orson Welles**_

1.

"You are being heartless, Mirai-chan…" Orochimaru commented while he flipped his tongue in his mouth. "You put the poor child into a genjutsu that could drive him mad".

"If your teaching methods haven't driven him mad already, he shouldn't play in my league" Mirai responded, turning around to face her true enemy.

Orochimaru was watching her from a distance with his serpent eyes locked on her like they were made of the most refined glass. His sickly pale skin was beaming under the moonlight and his silky black hair that reached his waist was smoothly following the direction of the soft breeze. He grinned at her as he moved closer.

Sasuke was stunned and trapped inside her illusion. His Sharingan would be useless to counter her attack this time; she had created this jutsu specifically against the Uchiha dojutsu.

She approached the shinobi with caution. Orochimaru was not only powerful and dangerous, he was also a disgusting piece of trash that harbored no mercy in his body.

"Orochimaru-sama, we finally meet. I must ask you to leave the Grass Village" Mirai said with her most persuasive voice.

They stood at a safe distance -if that was possible- and then he grinned again.

"Mirai-chan, I'm afraid I have no option but to capture you tonight. The least you resist the better for yourself and your village." He responded idly.

"I'm afraid I will have to refuse" she claimed, assuming the gentle fist stance before him.

"How beautiful. I must have you! Since you put Sasuke-kun away, I will become your opponent!" he exclaimed creepily.

"Last warning. Leave now or die." She announced steadily. Mirai, as she often did, was hoping for them to stay and fight. She wanted Orochimaru dead for all his crimes, many of which were committed against her Clan.

"Consider me warned" Orochimaru responded, his yellow pupils becoming even brighter with excitement.

Mirai nodded and stood still, calculating the odds.

The man she was facing was a Jonin from Konoha that had gone bad years ago. He was known for his eccentric behavior that included medical experiments, abduction of young children and the numerous modifications he had made on his own body. He was a genius in ninjutsu, having mastered most techniques known to shinobi. Also, he was famous for his bright mind and incomparable intelligence. Orochimaru had completed 1.468 missions while he was still in Konoha.

Mirai had only a few advantages compared to him. She was close to her allies and the Grass Village would come to her aid when they realized that his presence. Also, she had already exceeded him in taijutsu skills. Her monstrous stamina and her bloodline limit would be proven important as well.

Unfortunately, the odds were still against her.

The man moved his neck unnaturally and then extended it, attempting a physical attack at Mirai. His throat became long like an overgrown snake and while he opened his mouth, the woman saw a pair of large fangs, dripping with something she felt she didn't want in her system. She made a confident shout whilst her right palm blew chakra towards his face and repelled him momentarily.

Her byakugan allowed her to see that he absorbed her chakra when it reached him. Excellent.

The odds were narrowing down. She was a horrible match for him. She couldn't put sufficient distance between the two of them, with his capacity to expand his limbs and also consume enemy chakra, he would have her panting in less than ten minutes.

The monstrous man continued his attacks ruthlessly, aiming for her neck and torso while Mirai barely had the time to think between her reactions, however she wasn't going to go down without resisting.

'Calm down' she reminded to herself.

Orochimaru landed a direct hit on her stomach which sent her flying through the forest trees. Before she had time to react and tumble naturally, her back hit the log of an old maple tree.

Mirai coughed up some blood and felt a strange taste in her mouth; he had managed to poison her. She wasn't certain of what it was but she felt her limbs numbing slowly which led her to believe that he had injected some modified snake poison in her blood, during his last attack. She didn't have much time before she would be completely paralyzed, therefor helpless.

Mirai laughed quietly. The horrifying man approached through the woods, staring at her with delight.

"It's over now, Mirai-chan. Soon you'll reach a death-like state, where you won't be able to resist anything." He mused, licking his lips with excitement.

"It ends, when I say it ends" Mirai replied, her flaming glare fixed on him. She swiftly bit her thumb and pressed her finger on the ground.

"Summoning Technique..." she announced coldly.

Orochimaru's grin became wider and more sinister as he did the exact same motion: "Summoning Technique!"

The part of the forest where the combat took place was devastated by the appearance of two gigantic summonings: A Snake and a Dragon.

The Snake called by Orochimaru was a large, purplish creature with strong scales and cat-green eyes. Mirai estimated that this enormous monster could wrap itself around the grass village almost twice.

The Dragon that came to her aid was one of her strongest allies as well; he was dark blue in color and possessed two pairs of wings that allowed him to fly and maneuver easily. His eyes and mane was a bright yellow color, resembling the flash of the thunder.

Orochimaru immediately flew on his ally's flat forehead and prepared for battle. His expression indicated that he was impressed by the enemy creature.

"Rai-sama!" Mirai yelled at the enormous dragon. He roared in reply and she smiled, watching him flying above her, ready to engage with full force at her command.

"You could become great one day, Mirai-chan! Its unfortunate that you picked the wrong side!" Orochimaru exclaimed, preparing to attack.

Mirai reached swiftly for her side pocket and pulled out two pills. She swallowed them without hesitation and immediately felt her stomach twist and turn. She had purposely shocked her body using pills that were meant to boost her chakra levels. Now, she was brimming with excessive chakra and adrenaline. She knew that the poison was still in her system but -considering that he would have enhanced his saliva effectively- she had approximately six minutes to go on rampage. During that time frame, she would have to eliminate both of them because after that her body would catch up to both the damage and the poison and she would probably be incapacitated.

"I will not bow to the morals of any side! Never!" She screamed at him while Rai roared again in unison with her. She leaped as the snake attacked and used the current of the massive blow to lift herself higher than Orochimaru.

She heard the siren of the Village, her allies were coming. She smiled wildly; the odds became even.

"Ha!" she exhaled as she directed enormous amounts of energy against Orochimaru's chakra points. She could see with her byakugan that his arms were almost useless already; a kind sponsorship of the Third Hokage. She aimed for his main vessels with clear murderous intentions.

He moved swiftly on the back of the head of the serpent he was mounting, avoiding her strikes. She landed away from the snake and started to approach him again.

He gave her a vicious grin as he prepared for his next move.

"Forbidden technique: Reanimation!" He called in frenzy, as the land cracked beneath her feet, slowly exposing three sealed coffins. Mirai shivered to her core, sensing the vile energy of the kinjutsu.

"Rai-sama!" She ordered, pointing her index finger towards the enormous snake.

The Dragon obeyed instantly, diving from the sky at her command while thunders stroke from each of his wings towards the serpent and his Master. The two monsters clashed, making a booming sound as they begun their own combat.

Orochimaru was focusing on the reanimation ninjutsu but Mirai noticed that some of the smaller snakes that had been lurking inside his robes had fled and almost reached Sasuke's location.

'He is going to wake him up now, damn it!' Mirai thought feverishly. Right when she tried to move away and intercept the aid, the coffins cracked and opened wide, revealing the forms of the Third Hokage, the Fourth Kazekage and… Hyuuga Daisuke. Mirai halted at her heels, witnessing not only the leaders of two powerful Hidden Villages but also her paternal grandfather. All of them had the pale skin of the dead and the their eyes were completely blacked out. This technique had brought back the dead to battle her.

Mirai sighed as she assessed the situation and allowed herself to blink slowly once. This was no more a pattern of odds; she was as good as dead.

"I'm sorry, child. We are made to do this now." The Hokage spoke gently as he pointed his weapon at her.

The Kazekage remained silent and ready to attack.

Hyuuga Daisuke smiled at his granddaughter. "Mirai. Run." he warned her, while his byakugan was activated.

"Forgive me, Hyuuga-dono. I am the obstacle between that monster and the world for this short time. I'll join you in Heavens if I must, but I will not surrender or be caught alive!" She replied, lifting her chin.

She thought about her son and her brother. She though of the smiling faces of the children in the Grass Village and the happy expressions of her clan members as they greeted her daily. She thought of something that Itachi had once told her, too.

'We don't know what kind of people we truly are until the moment before our deaths. As death comes to embrace you, you will realize what you are.' He had told her sleepily, as she had been tracing the lines of his naked back.

"You are right, loved one" she replied then and now, at the moment of her imminent death she repeated this sentence so she wouldn't lose her courage.

Her gaze became peaceful once again as she placed her feet and arms at the right position to have all of them in her taijutsu threat zone.

"Eight Trigrams..." she mused, her eyes shining in the dark while her opponents ran at her "… One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!"

2.

Neji was awakened by the sirens inside the Village. An attack was taking place. He jumped out of bed and swiftly put on his combat clothes that consisted of a white kimono styled shirt with long, loose sleeves and matching pants, as well as a navy-gray traditional apron around his waist and black shinobi sandals.

Mirai never came to bed.

'She must be out there already' he thought to himself as he opened the veranda sliding doors and ran outside the Hyuuga District. Hyuuga Shizuka stopped him on his way.

"Where is Mirai?" She demanded strictly.

"I do not know, madam. She wasn't in our sleeping chambers" He replied hastily, as his eyes caught something terrifying in the distance.

Shizuka noticed his expression and turned to see for herself.

"Byakugan!" They said in unison as they saw clearly the enormous beasts colliding, sending a horrible tremor and sound towards the village.

"She is fighting!" She yelled at the Hyuuga members around her. "Our Leader is fighting alone! We will assist her!"

Neji felt a shiver down his spine. He knew that snake...Orochimaru!

"But Hyuuga-dono, we have no orders to intervene-" one man tried to reason with her but she interrupted him.

"I am ordering you now! The Hyuuga Jonin of our offensive ranks will follow me into combat! The rest of you, protect the village and the Clan!" She instructed with the presence of a leader.

"Yes, madam!" Everyone agreed and they immediately followed her.

"Neji, stay here." Shizuka then told him.

"No! She is my wife, I want fight for her, too!" He protested strongly.

"Will you die for her?" Shizuka inquired.

"Yes!" He replied immediately, his eyes focused on his mother's in law gaze.

"Wrong answer. Death isn't an option for now, Neji. Stay put, don't make me repeat myself ." She announced as she left him.

Neji stood still, the blood in his veins was boiling.

Another roar echoed in the distance and the combat appeared to be raging but Neji saw many allies running in the woods. They were running to her. They would have to be enough. She would come back after all of this, unharmed and unfazed as always, right?

"Damn it!" He shouted to himself, with no one else around to see him snap. He felt his headband weighting on his forehead.

'That's right...I am a Konoha shinobi. Konoha shinobi never abandon an ally!' he thought to himself. He nodded and ran behind the rest of the ninja that were approaching the area, keeping his eyes focused and his head cool.

No one would die tonight!

3.

(Sasuke woke up in the middle of the night, feeling nervous for some reason. Sakura was disturbed by his sudden movement and she twitched in his arms.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" she demanded sleepily.

"I think I had a bad dream or something..." he admitted suspiciously, sensing the house for intruders.

"Please, please just sleep… I have a long day tomorrow..." she nagged and turned around to hug him tighter. Her eyes were almost fully shut and she fell asleep swiftly.

"Yeah..." he agreed doubtfully and wrapped his arms around her as he tried to relax.

It was then that he heard his daughter's giggles. His eyes popped open and met his wife's terrified stare.

"Sarada!" She gasped as they both moved rapidly towards their baby's room.

Sasuke kicked the door open and there he saw a man lingering upon his child's crib. He held his breath, analyzing how to attack him without hurting his baby daughter, however his hot-headed wife had already passed him, aiming her devastating fist against their opponent.

A thunderous sound was heard as the man blocked her attack effectively, revealing his face.

"Itachi!" both Sakura and Sasuke screamed at him.

"I'm sorry, I just returned from my mission and I wanted to see her!" He apologized hastily, still grabbing Sakura's fist.

"I almost killed you!" Sakura yelled at him, picking up her daughter that was now crying.

"Oh, we scared her..." Itachi mumbled.

"You should have notified us." Sasuke scolded him, relaxed.

"But you were both sleeping so peacefully and lovingly, I didn't want to wake you up." Itachi argued, mystified.

"You… you… watched us sleep?!" Sakura stuttered, furious.

"Just for a moment, I really missed Sarada. I don't want her to forget me." He admitted apologetically.

"Sakura, calm down… You are upsetting Sarada. Itachi… stop invading our home to see your niece. Just visit on normal hours and most importantly don't, don't ever, come into our bedroom again" Sasuke warned him.

Sakura sighed and took their daughter to their bedroom to calm her. Sasuke stared at Itachi.

"Are you okay?" he asked, checking his body for injuries.

"Of course." Itachi replied smoothly.

"You sure?"

"Don't worry, little brother. Worrying is for grown-ups." He teased him.

"I am a grown-up." Sasuke pouted slightly.

"Of course you are. Will you have a quick drink with me? I promise, I'll leave after that."

"Sure. Let's go downstairs." Sasuke agreed.

"Maybe you should also put a shirt on" Itachi noted.

"House rules forbid me to." Sasuke mumbled grumpily.

"What?"

"Sakura has placed the rule that I am not allowed to wear a shirt or anything that covers my upper body while I am home, unless other women are visiting." He explained.

Itachi giggled softly. "And what rule did you issue?"

"No women are allowed to visit..." Sasuke admitted firmly.

They both laughed.

Itachi brought the liquor from the kitchen as Sasuke fell on the couch.

"You've been rubbing your elbow a lot. Is something bothering you?" Itachi asked abruptly.

Sasuke frowned and looked down at his arm. His skin was indeed red and scratched.

"I don't know-")

Sasuke stopped in the middle of his sentence as he woke up from the illusion.

He was standing still in daze, as a white snake had sunk its teeth into his elbow, effectively activating his genjutsu defense.

He had fallen for her illusion. Shit!

He felt his throat sore and his chest heavy as he gasped for air, like someone who was drowning.

Above him he witnessed Manda, the sage snake, fighting what appeared to be a… dragon?

"Mirai!" He screamed running towards her. He would kill her himself. How did she dare to create such a parody in his head?!

It was then that he stumbled upon Orochimaru.

"Let's stall Mirai-chan's allies from reaching to her. I've left her with some of my reincarnations, she will be dead shortly." He explained.

"No! I want her! I want to kill her myself!" Sasuke yelled at him.

"Patience, my boy. Once she is dead, we can have her to ourselves for interrogation and… research as well." He insisted, licking his lips almost erotically.

Sasuke felt disgust for his teacher but didn't speak. She knew where Uchiha Itachi was. He was eager to fight her but he wanted to know about him even more. He nodded in agreement.

"You can kill as many of them as you want..." Orochimaru proposed, pointing his chin towards a swarm of Grass Shinobi that had reached the clearing.

Sasuke drew his sword and steeled his will. 'First I'll finish with them and then I can have her' he thought firmly.

The image of Sakura holding their imaginary daughter flashed in his head. He shook the warm feeling away. He would have to kill her too, sooner or later. He couldn't allow her to make him feel hope. He felt the same burden in his chest weighting him down and he clenched his teeth.

They both ran against their numerous opponents.

4.

Mirai had managed to stand and fight for almost two minutes against these gods. She had already probably proved herself to be a formidable opponent but she was gradually decreasing in strength. Her body would catch up with its injuries sooner than predicted. She could sense her allies approaching but she was certain that Orochimaru and Sasuke would stall them. Rai was battling ferociously against the great snake. She was standing alone.

She half-smiled as she dodged another attack by the Hokage. She felt comfortable alone.

'We are born alone and we die alone, after all' she thought to herself.

Her eyes noticed a swift barrage of kunai with explosive tags attached to them, forming a circle around her. Her opponents flew away to dodge the attack.

"Kaiten!" she called as she used her clan's ultimate defense, revolving rapidly.

"Yo!"

Mirai turned and saw Kakashi standing by her side with one kunai on each hand.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him in shock.

"I came on a mission but I volunteer on this one, too." He said seriously, his eyes fixed on their opponents.

"Join the rest of-"

"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that's true, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." He interrupted her.

Mirai stared at his serious expression.

"Behind them" she pointed at the three reincarnations, "towards the west, are both Orochimaru and Uchiha Sasuke. Rai-sama is battling with the Snake Summoning. I'm sensing twelve Hyuuga members and twenty four grass shinobi, 280 meters to the west, too." She reported hastily.

"Gotcha. Your condition?"

"Less than two minutes and I'm dead meat but my chakra is still enough."

"We have to finish this sooner than that then." He announced, pulling his headband away from his scarred eye.

"Sharingan!" He called, activating his transplanted eye's properties.

Mirai pressed her limits even further, activating her Dragon Sage Mode. Her eyes became even brighter and their pupils became serpent-like. Red shadows appeared beneath her eye-sockets and below her chin. Crimson scales formed behind her ears and on her neck and shoulders.

She nodded at him and they charged forward.


	13. Chapter 13

**"Stop, stop. Do not speak. The ultimate truth is not even to think." ~****Buddha~**

Bonds II

1.

Soon after the entrance of Kakashi and the aid from the Grass village, it became clear to everyone that the Reanimated Shinobi could not be destructed since their bodies would recover instantly, even after several deadly blows. Mirai and Kakashi had been trying to keep them at bay since the rest of the shinobi had been attacking Orochimaru and Sasuke, in hopes that they could at least keep them away from the Village. Little did they know that Orochimaru's true aim was Mirai and that he wouldn't stop until he had obtained her.

"We have to get you away from here!" Kakashi yelled.

"Do you think there is a chance I could get away?" She countered. "My condition is worsening!"

"Damn it!"

He dodged another attack of the Fourth Kazekage.

"If I could- kite them away- would you be able- to follow up?" Mirai inquired through her attacks towards her deceased grandfather.

"We will be crushed otherwise, Mirai!" he responded, his irritation coloring his voice.

Mirai had less than thirty seconds to act on her decision. She would probably faint after that.

"Rai-sama!" She screamed towards the sky, trying to be heard against the raging thunders.

'I hear you, Mirai' the voice of the dragon echoed in her mind.

"Come to me!"

'Jump high.'

The dark winged creature dove from the sky as Mirai locked eyes with Kakashi and they nodded in agreement. She then leaped as high as she could, using chakra to expand her physical limitations. Rai smoothly moved above the trees and gracefully lowered his head so that the kunoichi could manage to land on him. Mirai fell awkwardly on the dragon's head and rolled on his long neck as he climbed higher on the night sky. She finally stopped moving somewhere between his wings.

'Are you hurt, young Mirai?' Rai asked politely, his deep voice resembling the distant sound of thunder.

"I am. I will probably lose consciousness soon. Can I give you my remaining chakra, so you can fly us away from here?" She asked, staring breathlessly at the stellar valley of the night sky.

'Of course. Where are we travelling?' The dragon wondered while Mirai felt the small vibration beneath his scales, indicating that the creature was satisfied with the prospect of a stroll in the clouds.

"Fly us to the Temple of Heavens. Rai-sama… Thank you. I am forever indebted to you." She claimed as she poured chakra directly into the dragon's chakra points, using her byakugan.

'You know how much we could spoil you if would only let us, little one. You owe us nothing, our goals are the same. Now, stop resisting and rest. I will take you to the monks.'

"Thank you, Rai-sama" Mirai mumbled.

She started sensing the condition of her body and it was in a horrible shape. Her right leg wasn't responding to any movement, since the bones and part of its muscle were prosthetic, she figured it would be the first limb to die out. Breathing became insufferable.

Her left ankle was starting to swell up dangerously. Her tissue there was teared apart and it felt unnaturally soft. Several of her ribs were fractured and she had suffered severe damage on her stomach and lungs. Additionally, some of her chakra points around her heart muscle and her liver were blocked, thanks to her grandfather.

Mirai sighed and curled up against the hard, warm scales of the dragon, hoping not to vomit. Her eyes closed and she crawled into the darkest corners of her mind.

2.

Neji returned home without his wife after many hours of search. The combat was brutal. Thirty six shinobi died that night and one went missing. The young man was exhausted and felt a strange numbness all over his body after the shocking developments during Orochimaru's attack…

Hyuuga Shizuka, his mother-in-law, had passed away during the last combat. Apparently -for reasons unknown to him and most of the clan members- she had been injured even before she reached the battlefield from what it appeared to be a previous secret mission. Her condition was critical already when she fiercely commanded her troops to follow her in battle. Neji couldn't understand why she chose to die that night but he knew that she had no intention to return from the beginning.

The last words he heard her speak were now haunting his troubled head:

"Orochimaru, keep your sly hands away from my clan or we will finish what the Third Hokage begun! The Grass Village represents neutrality and balance. We have no intention of going into a blood-hunt after your childish ambition to live.

As for you, Uchiha… You are a shame to the history of your clan but not an exception, really. You are following your entire family's tradition when it comes to being irrational, petty and dishonored…"

Neji sighed as he removed his blood stained shirt. It wasn't his own blood.

'Could these be the lasts words you uttered, Shizuka-dono?' he wondered silently, images of her broken body emerging in his mind again.

"Mirai-sama… Where are you?"

3.

(Three Days Later)

A single drop of water landed on the calm surface of the sapphire lake waters. The breeze strolled between the branches of the old trees and the sun took a final leap beneath the colorful mountaintops. The pale twilight bowed upon the land and the flowers yielded to its fixed gaze.

Mirai watched from afar as the wooden box that contained her mother's body sunk deeper in their Clan's Cemetery. Men and women stood around, mostly in silence and woe, although occasionally one or two sobs would be heard.

Hyuuga Mirai sat peacefully on the verge of the cliff that offered a great view of her homeland.

A raven landed crudely by her side and it appeared to have its onyx eyes focused on her expression. Hesitantly she averted her gaze from the graveyard and looked at the creature.

The bird proceeded to lightly bounce near her, finally resting on her lap. Then, she brought one hand above its slick plumage and caressed it gently.

"Are you becoming even more arrogant or suicidal, Itachi?" she mused gently as her figure was shadowed from a strange silhouette.

"My deepest condolences, Mirai." She heard him say, kneeling respectfully behind her.

She didn't turn around to face him but his mere presence felt both like summer and storm.

"Why did you do it?" she finally asked.

"Why did I do what?"

The crowd was now peacefully placing burial ornaments around Shizuka's grave.

"Your mother and father. Your entire clan. Why did you end them?"

The silence was deafening.

"Won't you tell me?" She insisted calmly.

"I will not." He replied softly.

Mirai chuckled to hide her sobbing.

"Thank you for coming." She said finally.

"The question is why are you not there among your clan, mourning your loss. Why are you here with me?" He asked softly.

She ran her fingers on the raven's feathers calmly.

"I was never there to begin with. I was always the ghost of Ichirou… My feelings, I like to shed them on the land or send them to the heavens or… or hide them in the wind. They don't need a mourning daughter down there, Itachi. They need a leader."

"I always knew that you were a cruel woman but I never guessed that you were so strict with yourself," he commented with a sigh and then continued, "will you show your face to me, dear Mirai?"

She smoothly turned her head to face him, careful not to disturb the bird.

He studied her expression.

She was calm and collected as always, her lips loosely attached to each other while her eyebrows lazily shadowed her gaze. However her pale eyes were sharp, dark circles had formed around them and they screamed of pain. Itachi spread his legs and opened his arms while the raven flew rapidly from her lap and landed on a nearby tree.

She winced at this motion, realizing that he wasn't a genjutsu but himself.

"Why did you come physically? Your image would suffice..." She whispered.

"You do not have to question my every decision. I am here to stand with you in your hour of need, it's the least that I can do-..."

She interrupted him by hugging him with such force that his breath was taken away. She hid her face in his coat and curled her small body inside his embrace, fitting there like the most precious pearl inside the crudest of oysters.

"...It's actually the only thing I can do." He admitted quietly as she started to cry in his arms.

Itachi kept his own eyes fixed in the distance, making sure she had her safe space to pour her heart out, thankful that such a place could still be found in him.

4.

Young Ryo was meditating serenely on the balcony of his uncle's house. He felt like he knew every single raindrop that crashed on the concrete buildings around him, even with his eyes closed. The soft breeze didn't feel real on his skin although it was. His body became stranger with every breath and yet, more familiar. The sensation was so heavenly that Ryo felt like a dancing spirit.

That's when he noticed a small pressure on his right calf. He opened his eyes without disrupting his meditation only to see the most peculiar thing: a small creature that could only be described as a dragon stood there.

The child and the dragon locked eyes for a moment and then the small serpent left a beautiful origami crane on the boy's open palm. Then, the creature bowed and disappeared as Ryo stayed there perfectly still.

He took a deep breath and examined the paper crane in his palm, raising it in front of his onyx eyes.

He could smell his mother's flowers and herbs on it.

"Hmmm..." the child mused curiously. He then proceeded to gently unwrap the crane and inside he found a message.

"Son, tomorrow night you must sneak out from your room and your uncle's house and follow the map that you see bellow. Be very careful and silent. When you reach the location, remain there for ten minutes without being spotted and then return. Destroy this note and never speak of it. This is your first mission!

Forever yours,

Mom."

The minimal drawing of a map was beneath her words. Ryo folded the crane to what it looked like and placed it inside his pocket as he heard his aunt's footsteps approaching.

"Ryo! Dinner's ready!" She yelled above his head.

"I am not deaf, auntie." He grunted.

"Oops, sorry, I thought that you were in trance." She laughed apologetically.

"Then apparently you were trying to kill me with your brutal screaming..." he mumbled as he stood up.

"No, however, I might try now if you keep this attitude, Ryo-kun!" She replied, still laughing.

"Yes ma'am!" Ryo bowed and ran into the house.

Lihua smiled at his small figure and followed him inside.

5.

Mirai entered her home after a long day of meeting with the Clan, the Kusakage and her father. She felt exhausted and enraged since she found out that both Sasuke and Orochimaru had not be captured. Her blood was boiling for revenge but she knew better than diving into Orochimaru's trap. She had already made mental notes to meet with Kakashi in order to discuss everything about Orochimaru but first, she would enjoy a hot bath and the comfort of her own bed.

"Mirai-sama, you returned." A grim voice was heard from inside.

"Neji" She greeted him, almost surprised that she didn't sense him. She was dangerously tired.

"My condolences for Hyuuga-dono." He said softly.

"Thank you. She died an honorable death for the Village and the Clan." She replied mechanically, something she had been doing all day.

Neji stared at her, obviously irritated and expecting her to explain her absence. Mirai walked passed him silently and when she reached their shared bedchambers she hesitated.

"Neji?"

"Yes madam?"

"Thank you. Really." She repeated, peering into his lunar gaze.

Neji's frown softened as he nodded gently.

Mirai entered the room without another word.


	14. Chapter 14

"If I were rain,  
That joins sky and earth that otherwise never touch,  
Could I join two hearts as well?"

**Sharingan**

1.

Itachi knelt quietly in front of the small wooden bowl in his room. He dipped both of his hands in the water and started to wash the blood off.

All this death was taking a toll on him. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat… He couldn't even think straight anymore. Itachi pulled his hands out of the water and stared at them, while a few drops fell back into the liquid surface inside the bowl. His hands were still peculiarly smooth and soft. His long ivory fingers would indicate a scholar rather than a killer. He absentmindedly formed his hands in a position that indicated that he was choking an invisible enemy. He tilted his head a little bit, contemplating on the times these hands had killed instead of doing anything else.

A loud thunder fell nearby making him alert again. These hands belonged to him even if they felt foreign. These hands were his own to carry with these legs. His eyes lowered and gazed on the rest of his body. Itachi, still perfectly immobilized, felt like he couldn't breathe. A single drop of sweat ran on the side of his face, his entire body was tense and strange, his vision was bleary and unfocused.

A knock was heard on the door, forcing him to snap out of it. He cleared his throat quietly.

"Come".

The door opened and a young, small framed woman entered the room on her knees. He noticed her sweet perfume and anxious manner, her silky clothes had vibrant colors and feminine patterns. She stayed perfectly still, her eyes fixed on the floor where she was kneeling. Itachi realized that she must have been one of the girls that the inn he was currently occupying would send to tenants to blow off some steam.

The woman was undeniably beautiful but in a very mundane manner and appeared quite nervous.

"Is there something that you want?" he inquired strictly.

"I was wondering if-" the woman started to mumble.

"Speak louder" he interrupted her.

"I was wondering" she repeated as steady as she could, "if there is something that you want from me..."

Itachi sighed and looked at her. She was so scared and even if he decided to send her away immediately, she would have to visit another monster and entertain him for the night.

She wasn't armed or strong, her figure was slim but obviously untrained. He decided that she wasn't a threat.

"Prepare a bath for me" he commanded as he moved away from her, towards the window of the small room.

"Yes, sir" she stuttered and begun the preparations.

Itachi undressed privately behind a room divider. He examined his wounds. One deep scratch on his left forearm and a smaller one near his neck. He stitched the one on his arm and just cleaned the other one.

He was unmaking his long hair when the woman spoke again to let him know that his bath was ready. He threw a towel on and then he proceeded to enter the hot water. When he didn't pay any attention to her, she mastered up her courage and started to remove the silky fabric off her shoulders, slowly and anxiously revealing her snowy chest.

Itachi looked at her eyes and then the rest of her body without an expression.

"What's your name?" he demanded.

"Mariko, sir, Ikeda Mariko." She replied quietly.

"Come." he instructed and she approached him.

Itachi pulled his wet arms out of the bathtub and pulled her robe back up, concealing her nudity.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen, sir."

He nodded. She only started breathing again once he removed his hands from her clothing.

"Do you know how to sing, Mariko?" he asked, averting his gaze from her, his voice still cold and indifferent.

"I-I do, sir. Would you like to listen to something in particular?" she dared ask him. She appeared quite relieved and Itachi noticed that she raised her eyes and examined his face for the first time.

"Just sing whatever you know" he said dismissively.

"Yes, sir."

She fixed her posture and started to sing.

_"Winter has come. I pile up the white light of the trees in my body, and sleep deeply at night..."_

Itachi sunk a little deeper in the water and his eyes met the ceiling, long black hair dripping on the floor of the bathroom.

_"...snow falls and piles up on bamboo leaves. It's fun to dance for the gods on a winter's night..."_

His thoughts drifted towards her. It had been only two days that he held her in his arms while she cried but it felt like a thousand years already. His vision became bleary again.

_"...again and again I ask how high the snow is..."_

He thought of their first meeting; they were only children but a decade almost passed by and he still felt like a small boy when he was around her.

_"...The earth is wintry, cold and dark. Well then, good-bye…"_

Every time, he left or she did. Every time, a longer farewell.

_"...White bird, are you not sad? You drift, never dyed by the blue of the sea or the sky's azure..."_

'She is sad, my white bird, my winter ghost...' Itachi thought nostalgically.

_"...Memories were all he left behind when he went down to the East, and never ever will I tell his name."_

Mariko's song finished there, without atonement. Itachi pondered on his life and if his own end would arrive in such a manner.

2.

Ryo managed his escape from his bed without any trouble. He reached the top of the building completely undetected – or so he thought. The rain was heavy again in Amegakure, giving the young boy a good cover. He started climbing down the fire escape, slipping only twice while descending and then he ran through the alleys to reach the spot his mother had instructed him to find. It wasn't really that far and no one was wandering in the streets so late. He searched for a nice hiding place and he finally decided to hide under a big garbage bin that was placed on the end of the alley. Ryo got wet really fast and the smell was hideous and made him cringe but he was excited that he had made it and decided to tolerate the situation as it was.

'Ten minutes', she had written.

The night was always moonless in the city, the clouds hid any light from the sky. It wasn't too cold, Ryo noticed happily. He hoped his mother would be expecting him home and congratulate him as soon as he was back. The boy grinned and then a loud noise came from a few blocks away. Ryo stayed perfectly still as he felt the atmosphere charging with the familiar essence of chakra.

'Stay calm' he thought to himself, his black eyes peering into the dark alley in front of him.

Audible footsteps, then a few yells and then chakra again. Ryo remained motionless.

Suddenly, not even two minutes after he had found his hiding place, the ruckus had entered the alley that he was supposed to patrol.

He calmly counted four sets of feet while he listened to them speaking.

"Surrender!" A woman shouted angrily.

"Never!" His uncle's voice replied.

"The organization would be beneficial for you, Hyuuga Ichirou." Another man spoke, his tone was convincing.

Ryo noticed that his uncle was standing right in front of the garbage bin. His shoes weren't muddy which stroke Ryo as strange.

"You can shove your benefits up your ass, Kyōya" Ichirou responded. Ryo noticed his uncle's feet moved in a peculiar way so fast that he couldn't exactly understand how he did it.

"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" he exclaimed and Ryo witnessed two men falling on the ground, unconscious. Only one person managed to stand the attack; the woman that spoke before.

"Fight me, you coward. Draw your sword!" She yelled at him and Ryo was terrified by her conviction. He had another five minuted to stay still.

"Do not appeal to my honor, I lost it years ago." Ichirou replied mockingly.

The two ninja started fighting into the alley while Ryo watched their feet, pushing water away and sliding on the street, until suddenly a gasp was heard and another thud followed.

Ichiru's eyes met with Ryo's as he fell on the wet cement. Ryo made the slightest movement to approach his uncle but he halted as soon as he realized that the woman slashed him again. And again.

Ryo, completely frozen on the spot, couldn't find the courage to move or even cry or scream. He was paralyzed by horror, his eyes capturing every little gore detail of the scene. Ichirou's lifeless body kept staring at his nephew's hideout. The woman stopped a few moments later, breathless, as if murder was as hard as digging or farming. She then proceeded to kneel beside his uncle's body and examine it. Ryo couldn't see well but when the woman got back up, his uncle's eyes were missing, exposing two bloody eye sockets on his face.

Ryo felt his stomach turn and his head was light. Some kind of beast woke deep inside his chest, roaring him to madness.

Ryo closed his eyes only for a second and then opened them again, having surrendered his mind to that beast that didn't feel horror but rage. His body crouched and his vision was finally clear. The woman performed a technique unknown to him and her two fallen allies disappeared from the street, then she begun walking away.

Right then, Ryo launched himself towards her, picking up his uncle's sword from the ground. She turned immediately as his steps had been heard. He saw her face, a woman with long dark hair and blues eyes. She wore the headband of Amegakure.

She managed to pull out half of her blade from it's sheath before freezing in shock. The small child in front of her had bright red eyes. This couldn't be. Her surprise was her undoing as Ryo did not hesitate to drive the sword through her abdomen.

The child screamed and stabbed her again, this time with her own kunai that he pulled out of her side pocket. He stabbed her repeatedly until she stopped moving.

The youngest living heir of the Uchiha Clan had claimed his first victim. Ryo breathed heavily as his rage subsided giving his terror room to be expressed again. The boy looked around him, suddenly unable to comprehend his surroundings. Suddenly, in all his confusion he felt big, hot tears descending on his face and heard his own scream like it belonged to someone else. He felt his knees becoming weak and collapsed on the street, trying to crawl closer to his uncle's body. The screaming wouldn't stop. The rain blinded him even more and he felt exhausted.

He felt Ichirou's cold hand and clasped it, finally losing his senses entirely.

3.

Sasuke walked out of Orochimaru's room. Kabuto stood there in shock after having witnessed their combat. Even as he saw Sasuke casually leaving the room he couldn't be certain if Orochimaru had managed to possess the younger man, as planned.

"Which one are you?" Kabuto asked.

"Which one do you think?" Sasuke replied with a grin. He activated his sharingan and showed Kabuto exactly how he overpowered Orochimaru.

"I've consumed him completely" he said finally and kept walking away, leaving a shocked Kabuto behind.

Sasuke took his first few steps away from Orochimaru and closer to revenge with great caution. He already knew who to recruit to help him find Uchiha Itachi. He didn't have to bother with anything but him. As he emerged from the hideout, he noticed the sky was a little heavy.

Something about this heavy sky made him think of Konoha. He was no longer Orochimaru's item, he wasn't Konoha's weapon, he wasn't Team 7's member. He wasn't Naruto's friend or Sakura's. He wasn't Itachi's weak little brother.

He remembered his mother's glassy gaze as she slept in a pool of blood. He remembered her murderer's eyes, red like a demon, blazing in the darkest corner of the room.

Sasuke moved closer to the river and knelt by the shore. Looking his own eyes reflecting there, was the absolute proof that his goal was near. He would kill Itachi even if it was the last thing he would do. His eyes sparked with a red shine once more.

No one would stand in his way now.

4.

Sakura sat by the window on the break room of the infirmary. Her shift would be over soon but the rain kept falling mercilessly upon the village.

'Seems like I will have to hurry back home...' she thought.

A loud thunder was heard in the distance and Sakura saw a strange reflection on the glass. She turned around really fast but he wasn't there. She blankly stared at the empty room for a few seconds before chuckling.

"He is not here, you fool." she whispered desperately, fighting the tears that came naturally.

"He is not here… Yet."

_**A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry for the short updates but it's important for the story to be veeeery specific in my content :3 I hope you are all doing great! I don't think we have much left, I hope you enjoyed the ride so far! Let me know of your thoughts in the comments DATTEBAYOOOOO**_

_**Alsooo I'm sorry for the errors, my english is under construction. Love ya. **_


	15. Chapter 15

_"What are heavy? sea-sand and sorrow._  
_What are brief? today and tomorrow._  
_What are frail? spring blossoms and youth._  
_What are deep? the ocean and truth."_  
_― Christina Rossetti_

**1.**

The Hyuuga District was silent and dark. The moonlight dressed the traditional structures with its pale fabrics and the sky resembled a cold, black pit that trapped the gaze of any pure bystander with its lunar crown.

Lihua, concealed as best as she could, patiently waited for Mirai's appearance. Ren and Ryo were numbly hiding behind her long cloak with eyes that betrayed their physical and emotional exhaustion. The woman avoided their gaze, as she felt the weight of their sorrow stabbing her very soul. Ryo didn't speak a word since he came home that night and urgently woke her up, showing her to her husband's lifeless body. Ren didn't ask however Lihua knew that he had guessed that his father would never come back home. She managed to secretly escape from the Village Hidden in the Rain with nothing but the most necessary and the boys. Without Ichirou, she would never have stayed there anyway; too much was going on, the world appeared to be bigger than ever.

She kept her gaze fixed on the entrance of the her husband's household. She felt bitter considering this was the first time she ever laid eyes on it. Ichirou had described many parts of it, always focusing on its beauty and elegance. There were the gardens he had been talking about, filled with blossoms of every kind. There was the bluish grass that she never believed existed. There were the small ponds that he would visit daily as a child, hoping to catch a glimpse of a frog.

Right then, she saw her. Ah, there was she, the person who made this place feel like home to him. His sister, which he painted in his favorite colors. Lihua saw her stepping out of the district silently, disrupting nothing but her incoherent thoughts. Her white attire and pale eyes fitted the scenery like a glove that wrapped its claws around Lihua's neck, choking her. Mirai's eyes were so much like Ichirou's. Not the color or the shape, no… Their depth and weight, their solemn stillness.

The younger woman approached quietly and stood before her sister in law.

"Lihua-san. Ren-kun, Ryo." she greeted them politely, her eyes revealing nothing of her anxiety. "I received your note… Can I offer you a drink inside?"

Lihua shook her head while her efforts were focused on her expression.

_'Don't cry. Don't cry'_ she commanded herself.

"Did my brother tell you to come here for-" her words were interrupted by a sudden movement, as Ryo plunged himself into her embrace. The young woman held the small boy, surprised by his demonstration of affection. Ryo hid his face in her white kimono as she wrapped her arms around his head, caressing his long, black hair. Lihua witnessed her sister in law wondering and then, slowly reaching the right conclusion.

Her white eyes, her legacy, darted on Lihua's face, looking for a sign of hope and finding nothing.

"Lihua-san…" she whispered, "please, follow me inside."

"I am sorry, Mirai-san. We have to keep going, its easier to travel during the dark hours." Lihua responded lifelessly.

"We? You look tired and worn out, Ren is at his limits. Let me help you!" Mirai insisted quietly.

"No… I am going back to my father's house. Here;" She presented her with a sealed envelope, "you will find everything you need in this letter, including our new location. Come, Ryo."

"No!" the younger woman protested, holding her son tighter on her body. "Lihua! You are not safe if he isn't-"

"Enough!" Lihua yelled before she could restrain herself. She couldn't hear it. "I am going there with Ren. I should take Ryo with me, considering his situation. If you insist on keeping him here, if you think it's the best thing to do, I will oblige. Please… Say nothing more than what you want me to do."

Mirai stared at her for a few seconds before she nodded. "Ryo will stay with me. Are you certain that you are going to be safe?"

"Yes. I am a Jonin too, you know. First of my class." Lihua joked halfheartedly.

Her sister in law gave her another long gaze and then she pulled a small whistle out of her sleeve. She blew it two times and three ANBU appeared around them.

"Nana, Yoshiko, Takuya. Follow and protect them, be discreet and report back to me." She instructed them and they replied with a small nod.

"Thank you..." Lihua managed to whisper desperately.

He wasn't here. He would never come back. Their son was born out of the Hyuuga family and privilege. Only hardship and danger would follow them from now on…

"I am sorry, Lihua-san." Mirai said softly, her face like a porcelain mask, hosting her eyes that now brimmed with silent grief.

"I am sorry, too." She responded hoarsely.

"Ryo, shall we go inside?" Mirai asked her son without result. She took the letter and hid it in the folds of her robe. "Ren-kun, come so I can properly see you off."

Ren moved hesitantly and hugged her and Ryo at the same time. Lihua felt like there was no space in her lungs for air. Mirai embraced her nephew tightly before urging him to return to his mother. The boys exchanged a brief gaze.

"I am going, then." Lihua stated.

"Farewell. I am at your and your son's service." Mirai vowed honorably.

"Thank you."

There they parted without any witness but the darkest night.

**2.**

_"Mirai,_

_I am writing this letter on a hurry since I am writing in secret. Tomorrow night I will meet with my informants in the government, in order to receive some tips. Of course it sound's like a trap, doesn't it?_

_Well, my smart little sister, it is a trap! However, I must take the bait and die. You see, I've been discovered and no one will be safe if I'm around them. You understand, right? Just like us._

_Your memory was my only shelter through all this time in exile. Until I met Lihua and she gave me Ren, I thought I would always be without a family but I was happy that when I had one, it was you. I begged our parents to give me a brother but they brought something even greater at home. I am sad that I couldn't give Ren the joy of having a younger sister._

_My wife, she is made of steel, however she is the softer person I ever met. I plead with you to take care of her. She is my only family apart from you and I would die a thousand more times just to keep her from harm. I have the right of a dying wish, don't I? Hehe._

_I never got to receive forgiveness for my crime. You were right, I have been selfish, foolish and cruel. I should have stayed close to you, wait for you to grow up and help me make the world a better place but I was young and impatient, I hope you understand. When you came to me with Ryo five years ago, I hoped that helping you with him would earn me this forgiveness and I still hope I managed at least not to be remembered as a traitor by you. I honestly loved you, baby sister._

_When it comes to my "criminal actions" I seek no remorse. I would do it all over again and that's all I have to say on the matter. _

_Last but not least, I am fairly certain that Ryo will develop his sharingan soon. I will make sure my death will help him evolve it even better; you don't know this about me but I know many of his Clan's secrets as well. Wish us both luck. I believe in his strong spirit but I might crack it a little bit. For that I also apologize in advance. Let him know that it was me who sent him to see me die and not you. Explain to him why this happened. This is my parting gift to my nephew. You know me, I always like to ruin what I love just a little bit, right?_

_About that… Love. Love is an illusion that makes us self righteous pigs. I never believed in it entirely until you taught me that it could also makes us heroes. Thank you for that. Without you, love would be another weapon in my storage. You were my home when I only had a House. Destruction and love go hand by hand in my life, I proved it with you and I proved it with Lihua and Ren and Ryo. I will not ask you to forgive me for that… I have no regrets for loving you all so blindly, so selfishly._

_Goodbye for now, baby sister. I hope we never meet again._

_Hyuuga Ichirou._

_P.S. Lihua – yes, you little rascal – I know you will open this letter although I wrote one for you, too. Greedy, aren't we? Please give Mirai whatever she needs to contact you. Don't cry. You are ugly when you cry. I love you, too."_

**3.**

The break of dawn shattered the nocturnal colors of the sky. The barren lands reflected the morning's glow, stealing some of its glory and life but failing to hold it. Itachi run his fingers through his hair repeatedly before he made it into a ponytail. He picked up his coat and placed his headband carefully on his forehead.

A new day was arriving but long before he locked himself in the past. This dawn had nothing to do with him or his purpose. This sinful kaleidoscope was running out of colors to blend. Everything was now turning red, even the mighty blue sky.

"Itachi, the leader calls us again" Kisame yawned.

"We must go then." He replied idly.

"Seems like your little brother is spreading chaos. He killed Orochimaru." The shark man continued.

"Ah." Itachi commented dismissively. His stomach turned. _'This is wrong'_, a little voice cried in him.

"Aren't you proud? That snake was a hustle."

Itachi calmly faced his partner. The man smirked and said no more.

**4.**

Ryo sat aloof and quiet. He was bathed and his hair was neatly combed and dry. When his mother entered the small room once again, he tried to to talk to her but he made no sound. Ryo was certain that he had lost his voice. That monster which possessed him and killed that woman stole his voice but he didn't mind. He looked at his mother and wondered if she knew the monster. Maybe she sent him there to protect uncle Ichirou. Ryo hoped that wasn't the case because his mom would be very upset when she realized that he failed.

She sat in front of him and he lowered his eyes. He couldn't look at her, she could read his mind.

"Ryo... You haven't said a word." She noticed.

He nodded timidly. She gently took his hands in hers and at that moment he couldn't take it anymore. He looked at her and started crying his eyes out, hoping that if she read his thoughts she would understand him.

Mirai's eyes popped open and she immediately brought him closer into her face, wiping his tears off his fair skin.

"What is it, Ryo?" She asked him worriedly.

The boy tried his best to speak but he failed again and as his frustration grew so did his sobbing.

"Don't worry my dear, it's all right. You just cry it out..." She whispered tenderly as she put him deep in her arms, embracing his small trembling body. "It's not your fault, Ryo. You did nothing wrong. You are so brave and I am proud of you." Mirai explained sweetly.

Ryo, listening to her words dissolving his worst fears, cried even louder and hugged her firmly back. She smelled like flowers and grass, his mom. Nothing like blood or rain. She would never lie to him. If he was responsible for his death, she would have scolded him. Instead she held him and caressed his hair and his back and she said that he did nothing wrong. Could he believe her? She would never lie to him.

"M-Mother..." he managed to stutter, speaking for the first time in almost three weeks, "Are you lying?"

"I would never lie to you, my son." She replied firmly and he believed her.

And so Ryo stayed there as Mirai hid her own tears from him, crying his fears out until exhaustion claimed him.

_**AN: There and back again with a new chapter! I hope you love it! It's getting harder for me to write these days, this story is heavying on me. I am doing my best because of your support! You know who you are :) **_


	16. Chapter 16

_**"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead."**_  
― Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack

**1.**

Every time he took the risk of dreaming he knew he suffered the result of a nightmare. This time was like any other.

He sat at the wooden doc near the Uchiha district and he had been observing the calm surface of the lake. It reflected the blue sky of the morning and a few puffy clouds that chased each other around lazily, once or twice a bird would appear as well.

Itachi heard her light steps and didn't react. He wanted to see if she was trying to surprise him but unexpectedly enough she wasn't up for a mischief that day. She just sat by his side. He turned his face towards her, noticing her beautiful long brown hair and dark eyes.

"Hello, Itachi-kun." She greeted him timidly, offering him a sweet snack.

He nodded and took the treat. He looked at her again, her light blush, her vibrant gaze. She was such a pretty girl.

"Izumi, I-"

Suddenly a crow called from the Southeast and Itachi's eyes quickly darted towards that direction. When he looked back at her she wasn't there anymore, a single crow sat there picking on the sweets she had dropped.

"Izumi!" He yelled, anxious at her absence. She was nowhere to be found and the sky became darker as the clouds formed a thick wall above him and a thunder was heard. A flock of crows appeared around him, flying violently in a circular motion.

"Izumi!"

Rain begun to fall, breaking the calmness on the lake's surface. His clothes became wet and as he tried to escape, the birds wouldn't let him. When they finally left, the lake was crimson red and numerous bodies where floating there, bloody and dismembered, horrifying expressions marked their faces. Him mother and father were there among the dead. Izumi, too.

"No..." He breathed.

He stepped away from their glassy gaze and bumped on someone that stood right behind him. He turned around only to see little Sasuke, his eyes fixed on the massacre, in horror.

"No, Sasuke, I can explain…" he pleaded but the boy couldn't hear him.

Sasuke started screaming at the top of his lungs and then, Itachi woke up.

His body didn't exhibit any signs of stress, so he knew that Kisame (who had been watching the entrance of their hideout) wouldn't have noticed that he had been dreaming.

He picked himself up quietly. _'One crow is for sorrow. A crow calling from the Southeast means that an enemy is approaching'_, he thought to himself.

Itachi smiled.

**2.**

"Get up" Mirai instructed strictly.

Ryo did as she said, but he could barely stand.

"Can you continue?" She inquired coldly.

He nodded and Mirai concealed a smile. "You have to mean it, Ryo."

The boy nodded again and prepared himself for another vicious attack. He had been secretly living with his mother for a few weeks. He had been spending his days in a hidden room and they would only get out at night when she always made him wear an ANBU mask. Her husband was back at his village for missions and her own father was on a mission far away from the grass village as well. He didn't understand why it was so important to remain hidden. Mother was so strong, he was certain that she could protect him…

Ryo had been very confused all this time. She didn't explain what had happened to him that night when he managed to kill that ninja-woman. She just trained him daily and harshly. He was studying all day and fighting all afternoon. His body was sore and his head was usually heavy. Maybe she had been punishing him for his crime.

However, no matter how hard he tried, Ryo couldn't regret killing that woman.

Mirai struck again and he quickly fell on his back, breathless.

"Get up"

He tried to do so however he was spent. His legs couldn't support him.

"Get up, Ryo." She spoke. Uncle Ichirou was right. His mom was scary. Scary and strong.

"Mother, you know I cannot defeat you..." he tried to reason with her as he struggled to do as she said.

"I do not expect you to defeat me, Ryo. I simply want you not to lose. Can you do that?" She replied as she approached him and helped him up.

The boy nodded, not certain of what she meant.

"Your hair is long enough. Should I trim it a little bit?" She asked him as they walked from the private dojo towards his room.

"No, I like it long." He said absentmindedly.

"Ah… Why is that?"

"I don't know, I just like it long, like..." Ryo hesitated.

"Like Ichirou's." Mirai completed his sentence.

The boy nodded again.

Mirai held back a sigh and gave him a smile instead, one of those smiles that she only reserved for dragons and children.

"Take a bath and then rest for twenty minutes. We are reviewing your knowledge upon herbs tonight." She said finally.

Ryo nodded one last time and got inside his hidden room.

**3.**

Mirai stepped lightly on the herbal floor of her little sanctuary in the woods. The plants' condition was perfect, since they were taken care of. She pondered upon the matter for a few moments.

Wildflowers also bloomed more beautiful when she was caring for them. The grass stood taller, prouder. She could almost taste the scent of the small haven.

Tea, clove, goji, white snakeroot, … and him.

"Are you that accustomed to me or should I test your reflexes more regularly?" Itachi's voice was heard from the woods.

Mirai didn't react, as she was feverishly thinking. Ryo would be prepared for their class in less than ten minutes. He would expect her in her study. _No_ . Ryo was – fairly – curious about outside. Since he would be given a chance to search for her there, he would probably try to find her discreetly._ Excellent._

"I merely decided not to wound your pride -once -and yet here you are, acting like a senior" She replied as naturally as she could, turning to face him.

His eyes glowed in the darkness, smart and crimson, his heavy eyelids shadowing his gaze.

He simply said "Fix your attire".

"I assure you, my shoulders and knees are exactly the way you last observed them less than five months ago" she snorted.

He didn't resist a small private grin as he approached her and sat by her side. Mirai, almost forgot about her son for mere seconds as all flowers bowed their heads to him. He still was the most beautiful man that she had laid eyes upon.

Oh how she wanted to lock him away and keep him entirely for herself. No organization, no village, no nation was great enough to own him. He didn't speak. Mirai always though his silence was the most meaningful form of communication he possessed apart from his eyes. Itachi was crude with words but what he lacked in eloquence he made up for in comprehension.

"Was I mistaken?" he inquired suddenly.

She simply studied his expression with curiosity.

"Was I mistaken to come to you?" he explained.

"Since the very beginning" she responded, her eyes fixed on his.

He blinked once and his gaze became softer but not less red or lethal.

"You never answer my questions properly. Aren't you a grown woman now?"

"Never inquire what you may not desire" she cautioned him playfully.

"Such a clever mouth, yet you use it so poorly" he provoked her. His crimson eyes glowed dangerously under the pale moonlight.

Mirai raised an eyebrow.

"Are you challenging me again?" she asked him.

"Can you just give me one kiss without a spar?" he whispered, a sad smile painting his moon-kisssed lips.

"I wonder..." she sighed.

Right then they both felt the boy approaching silently from the woods. Mirai stood perfectly still as Ryo appeared behind a few flowery bushes and Itachi hid his presence, assuming the boy was her subordinate.

The child was wearing his mask, obediently.

"Mother?"

"Why are you out of your room?"

"I thought it was rare of you to be late..." he mumbled, already apologetic.

"Were you seen?" She insisted, although she knew that no one but Itachi had laid eyes on him.

"No!" he reassured her, expecting her to congratulate him.

"Then return immediately and wait for me in my study. We will talk about the consequence of our actions tonight" she warned him.

Mirai couldn't see his expression behind the mask but she could guess he would be disappointed and maybe a little intimidated as well.

"I thought I heard you talking to som-"

"Immediately." She repeated, this time infusing her voice with coldness.

Ryo was startled. He stood still for a few seconds and then turned around and left without another word.

**4.**

As soon as the boy left, Itachi unmasked his presence. Of course, Mirai could sense him all the time but the child couldn't.

He turned his gaze towards her. She appeared calm and collected and he knew it in his gut that it was nothing but a façade.

She had a son. A son old enough to speak his own mind… The child had powerful chakra and a number of different vessels around his eyes. Obviously a Hyuuga, like her.

"Was this your son?" he asked her. He felt his stomach turn. He knew their bond could never evolve to anything more than what it already was but he was still repulsed by the fact that she had a child with someone else. He fought against the flaming tongue of jealousy and failed miserably.

"I see you don't waste any time."

She slowly turned and faced him.

"What did you say?" she hissed.

Itachi knew he was enraging her but he didn't find it in himself to stop.

"It only seems natural, considering-"

"Considering what?" she barked in a low voice as she stood up. Itachi mimicked her motion.

"Considering the fact that not only you are a woman of politics, who only married a boy for her clan's benefit, but you also disrespect your own self by dressing provocatively and your marriage by maintaining physical relationships with other men, out of wed-"

"Byakugan" she whispered and he felt her aura expanding. She was indeed a grown woman. It had been a long time since he last sensed her fighting spirit. It was terrifying and he never desired her more.

"Don't be a fool, you cannot win against me" he threatened her calmly, hoping that she would still battle him anyway.

"That is not even my point" she seethed, "however I will accept your challenge."

"We are close to the village. If you are seen with me, you're done-for."

"Then answer one simple question" she demanded angrily. "How long has it been since your eyesight got damaged?"

"What?" he blurted out. _How did she know?_

"Your eyes aren't as they used to be. You probably have blurry vision and headaches. Why? Is it the Sharingan? What did you do?" She yelled, grabbing both of his arms with force.

"Since when do you care for my visual prowess, Mirai?" he mocked her, still affected by the sudden appearance of the boy and her hostile demeanor.

The silence was deafening and even he knew he had pushed her too far but he didn't care. He was mad beyond comprehension.

"I couldn't care less for a rogue ninja with authority issues that declares everything he doesn't know to be beneath him! However, I do care about my son and I want to know what the fuck did you do to bring your eyes to this state so this would never happen to him, you unfathomable asshole!" she replied ferociously.

Itachi, still glaring, tried to grasp the meaning of her words. Why would the child ever suffer the effects of the use of the Sharingan? He was a Hyuuga. Unless-

He looked at her so intensely that she shifted her position, releasing his arms.

_No. No, no, no…_

"Ah, there it is. Yes. He is your son. And you probably guessed it right; he possesses your kekkei genkai. He is an Uchiha." She declared grimly.

_No, no, no…._

He fixed his gaze upon her ominously.

_**"What did you say?"**_


	17. Chapter 17

**_A.N.: Hey guys! I hope that you are all safe and sound. This chapter's title refers to chapter 4 named "A smile beneath the mask" and the events that took place then, in case you need to refresh your memory! Thank you so much for reading this story, I hope you enjoy it! Stay sharp 3_**

_"They've done it before and they'll do it again and when they do it - seems that only the children weep. Good night."_  
_―Harper Lee,To Kill a Mockingbird_

**A frown beneath the mask.**

**1.**

There are things that one could expect and things that one could assume. Mirai was always aware of omens, signs and common sense. Once March arrived, the cherry blossom trees would bloom. If the clouds were dark and the earth smelled of water, it was probably going to rain. A crow's caw meant something bad would happen.

However, a shinobi can predict the future and act upon it in various ways and Mirai possessed the skills for all of them. Therefor, when she felt Itachi's chakra almost materializing around him and once his eyes glowed red and furious, she didn't stop to think. She prepared herself for the first blow -since she couldn't avoid that under any circumstance- while her eyes started planning out the combat.

He attempted to grasp her neck and once he failed, he immediately turned around and kicked her in the stomach. She didn't avoid getting hit for various reasons. First of all, she would use his strength at her advantage, putting some distance between them. Then, considering the fact that it had been years since the two of them had engaged in battle, she wanted to calculate his strength. Finally, she wanted to delay the combat in order to figure which outcome would be in her favor.

His blow sent her flying for a few feet but she quickly landed gracefully on the trunk of a big maple tree, balancing herself by infusing chakra on her soles. He moved fast and approached her again but this time she dodged his attack and climbed higher.

Right then he appeared right in front of her extremely fast and attempted to punch her again.

"Your speed is irrelevant; my eyes can follow." She scoffed quietly while dodging another blow.

"I will kill you." He declared, his eyes blazing with determination.

"I was afraid you were going to say that, however," she whispered viciously "I will not allow it."

She blocked his next attack directly placing herself inside his immediate threat zone as a wild smile colored her usually stern expression.

"Ha!" she exclaimed while assuming the gentle fist style form. One powerful blow, charged with massive amounts of chakra hit Itachi on his left shoulder, barely missing his heart.

Itachi noticed that his chakra points were blocked on that area. Hadn't he move, she would have hit him directly on his heart. She was trying to kill him!

Every last drop of sense evaporated as he glared at her.

"Katon…" he thundered ominously as his hand seals were concluded, "Gōka Mekkyaku!"

**2.**

Ryo ran back home and hid inside his mother's office. A few moments of absolute stillness and silence passed and he was able to breathe again. Was it Mirai's ferocious eyes or his own insecurities that made him feel uneasy? He focused his big onyx eyes on one of the artworks on the wall of the luxurious room. The painting depicted a tiger with bared teeth, roaring against a river of gold. Ryo removed his mask and stepped closer to admire the unusual color selection. He did not recall seeing this particular artwork before but then again, he quite often found himself forgetful when it came to details about this particular room.

The silence was deafening now.

"Mother?" He asked the Void.

And the Void replied "I am here, son."

"Are you mad?"

"Always."

"Will you forgive me?" the child stuttered, feeling uneasy.

"Yes, I will."

Ryo sighed in relief until the Void spoke again.

"However, I will not forget."

The child realized his mistake. His mother always warned him not to stare at the walls of this room.

This wasn't her voice. It was her jutsu, lying demonic powers of illusion that would be dressed in the faces and voices of one's loved ones! He looked at the artwork again and realized that the Tiger was missing. He was hunted. He tried to escape the room but the door wouldn't open or break.

"Help!" he shouted but no one was there.

Right then everything went dark, the floor collapsed and the ceiling disappeared. In the nothingness only one thing could be heard: The growl of the Tiger.

"HELP!"

**3.**

The blazing inferno scattered around Mirai's swirling defense.

"Your flames will never touch me!" She shouted at her opponent, closing the small distance between them once again.

Itachi observed her carefully. Her flawless form, her pearly eyes that spoke of cataclysm, her white robes, moving around her like the spirits of the dead were at her command.

She extended her porcelain arms and he noticed that they looked like the limbs of a noble youth. Her whole figure did. He smiled to himself briefly, thinking about their morbid inheritance. Not only did they possess every weapon on the list, their features were the perfect diversion as well. However, he wasn't the one to fall for such a cheap trick.

He felt his body heavier as he moved and he realized that in his current state this battle would not end in his favor. She wasn't dying out, she was at her peak performance with many aces still hidden inside the folds of her kimono.

The child could blow everything up. All of his efforts, all of his sacrifices and all of his torment could be in vain.

Itachi, still avoiding her repetitive attacks that could crush mountains, wondered what was her reason for hiding the existence of this boy. If he knew Mirai as well as he thought, it was probably an attempt to obtain more knowledge and with it more power. Nevertheless, he couldn't shake away the feeling that he knew almost nothing about her person. She never spoke of her feelings. He did not think that she harbored none but her decisions were always based on her sense rather than her heart.

That's when his thinking process was interrupted by a devastating blow above his left lung. He felt the familiar taste of blood in his mouth but he swallowed it, keeping his cool and showing no sign of affliction. Another hit landed on his body, this time paralyzing his spleen. Once again he didn't react to the pain and strain, he just put the maximum distance he could between them.

He was flirting with the idea of going at her with full force but he knew that would end with him dying tonight. His blood was boiling as he felt stingy bites beneath his eyelids. Tears of rage, injustice and despair were trying to escape him but he would never allow it. She wouldn't see him vulnerable.

"You are considered a monster, Mirai, however three times now you've missed my heart. Seems like your new position as the head of the Hyuuga has made you rusty." He provoked her intentionally, "Unless you don't have the guts to kill me. Very feminine of you."

Her white hot rage showed all over her beautiful features, transforming her to a feral demon.

"Come, Uchiha Itachi, and meet the destiny you forced upon your Clan!" She snarled, chakra accumulating in her every pore. Her short hair was violently slashing her snowy shoulders, the fabrics of her attire flew around her in unison with the currents that her aura created.

"How cruelly you speak of the fate of your own offspring, woman!" He thundered as his hands moved, forming the seals of his next jutsu.

"You will not touch a hair of his head!" She exploded as she charged at him.

Right then, before their attacks landed against each other and while the forest sat silent, breathlessly watching their battle, Mirai heard her son's voice in her mind.

"HELP!"

**4.**

Mirai was determined to kill him after he threatened Ryo's life. She always knew that the darkness inside him had won the day he decided to end his entire family without regret. He was ruthless when it came to his actions and Mirai would never allow him a chance to hurt Ryo, although she somehow had hoped that he wouldn't be hostile against his own son. She felt like a fool for even considering such an option. She was a shinobi herself, she knew very well that sentiments were not to be expected when they clashed with one's interests. Her only hope was the fact that he spared his younger brother.

She was wrong but she could fix it and she would.

Right then, she heard her boy's voice. His image flashed before her eyes, scared and defenseless, as it overlapped with the image of his father, powerful and relentless. She moved as fast as she could in such short notice, avoided two of his attempts to confront her directly and landed a few feet behind him as he turned around and she felt the weight of his eyes pressing against her senses.

At their age, their genjutsu adaptation wasn't debatable. He was a natural and it was showing while she had to put all of her effort not to succumb to his illusions. Hadn't she decided to pursue the path of genjutsu as a child, she would have lost this battle already.

None of this mattered at this point. She would go to her son and attempt to neutralize him on the way or even then and there. She felt a grin spreading on her face as the monster that she fed since she was small was waking up inside her body, replacing her heart with power and pride of steel.

He was focused on her as she pulled numerous explosive tags from her clothes and revolved, swiftly sending them at every direction. She then used the distraction created by the massive explosion to escape him momentarily. She knew that his Sharingan would follow up effortlessly with her small trick.

She ran, consuming so much chakra in order to reach her residence, that she felt the lightheaded bliss of blood loss. She entered her house like a hurricane. The hidden guards around her district would probably stall Itachi, buying her sometime but she had to free her child from the genjutsu first. Such a powerful jutsu could cost the life of a boy his age. She fled towards her office where she saw him, standing perfectly still in front of the River God painting.

Ryo was pale as a sheet, one hand held his mask and the other clutched his own chest. He was soaked in his own sweat and his eyes were fixed in another place, out of existence. His lower lip trembled, silently asking for help and Mirai could hear his racing heart, ready to succumb to pressure.

"Release!" She commanded and the boy gasped like a dying creature and then collapsed on the wooden floor.

Mirai knelt by his side and took him in her arms, kissing his wet forehead with relief. He would be alright. Right then she felt his presence behind her and she turned her head towards him, throwing her most lethal glare at his direction while she hid the boy with her body.

**5.**

Itachi found her in her study and she resembled a vicious beast as she held the boy hidden from his sight. He exposed his blade before her eyes and wiped the blood off with his coat. Whoever he met on his path had died. Soon the district would be alarmed.

His eyes wondered towards the small figure that she held. He could only see his feet and his small hand that held even in slumber, his mask.

HIS mask.

He remembered the day he gave this mask to the woman before him. It was raining heavily and the forest was a different world on its own. He had sensed her, sitting by the river and he had followed her essence blindly, making no sound. It was the day he would leave behind everything he was left with, which included only Sasuke and...a glimpse of Mirai. A shard of her image, like a photo of a girl that soldiers take with them before they go to war.

He had observed her for a while, like a voyeur, as she lowered the silk off her shoulders. He had felt like he could taste the rain on his tongue as her exposed neck bent and the edges of her hair had touched her wet skin. He didn't know yet but he felt it: She had enchanted him entirely. He almost left, however he was drown to her, he wanted to see her face and he wanted her to see him as well.

They had fought and argued over important matters that were as heavy as the willow curtains that surrounded them and equally easy to irrelevant. He couldn't focus on her words while so much of her skin was showing. Her voice was so clear and severe. Her gaze spoke of bravery and resolution and her every move was elegant and beautiful. She was crafted like the finest of silk and used as the sharpest of blades. He didn't know why he felt like that but he knew that they were made of the same material, somehow he and she.

"Your mask" she had pointed out and he replied "I don't need it anymore. Keep it."

He didn't know why he said what he said, why he gave her his mask. He never thought that she would have kept it all these years. Keeping a memento was a sign of sentiment and she rarely gave into these. What kind of emotion made this girl keep that object?

He had always thought of her as someone who would cut everything that was in her way. Was he tricked by her? Had she been using the same methods that he was, leading everyone to believe him heartless, monstrous? Were they finally able to see each other for what they truly were now, two products of war and death, two deserted monuments of a world that slowly turned to dust? They were the last of their kind, that was certain. For no one would be in his place ever again (he had secured that) and no one would be Hyuuga Mirai.

He knelt on the floor, trying to sustain his vision clear, since she wasn't wrong. His eyes were awfully damaged.

He then proceeded to remove his robe and tossed it outside the room, revealing his simple military attire beneath it.

He bowed in front of her, his scratched headband touching the floor.

"Forgive me." He whispered before her stunned glare. "I have wronged you."

"What are you doing?" She inquired, not believing in her own eyes.

"I am begging for your forgiveness. I owe you an explanation and if you want it I will tell you everything. You deserve to know, everything" He explained quietly as he raised his head and sat straight.

Mirai's eyes opened wide, as she saw the tears on his otherwise empty expression and his hollow, black gaze.


End file.
